ABOUT US
Welcome to the Vinayak laboratory at the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign
We study the protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium parvum, a leading cause of diarrheal disease and mortality in young children and ruminant livestock. We use a combination of molecular genetics, cellular biology and animal infection models to study parasite biology and identify new targets for the development of effective therapies against cryptosporidiosis.
OUR RESEARCH
The three main research focus areas in our laboratory are:
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Unraveling signaling mechanisms that regulates proliferation and development of Cryptosporidium
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Identifying and genetically validating new anti-cryptosporidial drug targets
- Developing new genetic tools to study parasite gene function