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SUMMARY:Development and Application of Genomic Tools for Characterising Ge
 netic Variation in Soil-Transmitted Helminths - Marina Papaiakovou\, Depar
 tment of Veterinary Medicine
DTSTART:20251024T120000Z
DTEND:20251024T130000Z
UID:TALK236038@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Fiona Roby
DESCRIPTION:Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) are a major global health co
 ncern\, exacerbating poverty and disease. Traditional diagnostic methods r
 ely on microscopic examination of faecal samples\, which can be labour-int
 ensive and have limited sensitivity. Molecular techniques\, particularly q
 uantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)\, offer improved sensitivity\
 , especially in low-prevalence areas\, but current assays have been develo
 ped using a narrow range of parasite isolates. This is problematic because
  STHs are genetically diverse\, and such variation can affect the accuracy
  of molecular diagnostics. Unravelling the untapped genetic diversity of S
 THs could transform the way we understand STH biology and epidemiology. Po
 pulation genetics studies of STHs are limited\, partly due to the difficul
 ty of obtaining adult worm samples. This thesis explores the use of low-de
 pth shotgun metagenomic sequencing ("genome skimming") and targeted hybrid
 isation enrichment on faecal samples with known STH infections to analyse 
 helminth genetic diversity. Although less sensitive than qPCR\, genome ski
 mming enabled the recovery of complete mitochondrial genomes (mtDNA) and r
 evealed substantial genetic variation in nuclear diagnostic targets that c
 an influence diagnostic performance. Given the low abundance of STHs in fa
 ecal samples and the large amounts of non-target DNA (e.g.\, host\, bacter
 ia)\, targeted hybridisation enrichment is a highly efficient method to en
 rich helminth mtDNA in faecal samples and capture genetic variation. These
  advances provide a foundation for better understanding STH genetics witho
 ut relying on adult worms and form a foundational basis for the genomic ep
 idemiology and sustainable control of STHs as a public health concern. 
LOCATION:LT2\, Department of Veterinary Medicine
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