Scavenger receptor CD163 detoxes #hemoglobin (Hb) via haptoglobin–Hb (Hp-Hb) uptake, but can also bind free Hb directly. Richard Zhou & @parasitematt.bsky.social solve the CD163-Hb structure to reveal that CD163 arms allow receptor promiscuity when Hp is absent @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4eOLuIv

Our latest study of the scavenger receptor CD163, led by Richard Zhou. This follows our previous study of how CD163 uses its remarkable molecular architecture to bind haptoglobin-haemoglobin. We now show how its flexible arms allow haemoglobin binding, revealing how ligand promiscuity works.

Structure-guided design of a PfCyRPA-based #vaccine against blood-stage #malaria ➡️ doi.org/10.1038/s44321-026-00376-x By N. Alam, @parasitematt.bsky.social and colleagues @ox.ac.uk @kavlioxford.bsky.social

Introducing our new blood-stage malaria vaccine immunogen based on the essential invasion protein PfCyRPA. By understanding where on PfCyRPA the best antibodies bind, we used structure guided design to generate PfCyRPA-EM, which contains only the epitopes of the best antibodies.

Excited about parasites? Love watching movies? Come join our Wellcome-funded project! Parasitology friends, please do share far and wide.

@knuepferlab.bsky.social · 6mo ago

The HartLab is looking for a research assistant to support the exploration of red blood cell invasion by Plasmodium and Babesia parasites and the establishment of their distinct intracellular niches. For more information on this 4-year position follow the link below: www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DQH098/r...

We are very much looking forward to being @courbongautier.bsky.social’s new home!!

John Rubinstein@johnrubinstein.bsky.social · 7mo ago

Congratulations to the new Doctor of Philosophy @courbongautier.bsky.social on a spectacular PhD defense following a groundbreaking PhD! Thanks to external examiner Damian Ekiert from JHU and the rest of the examining committee. Next stop, Oxford University for a postdoctoral fellowship. 🇫🇷🇨🇦🇬🇧

Check out our latest study on the PfRIPR protein, essential for the malaria parasite to get inside our blood cells. We show how antibodies block the function of PfRIPR by preventing its flexible hinges from bending, or by stopping it from compacting as part of its mechanism.

Very proud!

Oxford Biochemistry @oxfordbiochemistry.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Alex Cook @alexandercook.bsky.social in the Matt Higgins @parasitematt.bsky.social lab here @ox.ac.uk has been awarded a Wellcome Career Development Award to start his own laboratory @york.ac.uk . Congratulations Alex! We are delighted for your success but will be sad to see you go. 🏆🎉👏👏👏

Delighted to review the latest findings on how malaria parasites get into our blood cells and how we might stop it!

Nature Reviews Microbiology@natrevmicro.nature.com · 11mo ago

New online! Erythrocyte invasion in malaria: from molecular mechanisms to rational vaccines

Delighted to share our review on how those malaria parasites get into our blood cells and how we might stop them. rdcu.be/eGnUl

Erythrocyte invasion in malaria: from molecular mechanisms to rational vaccines

Nature Reviews Microbiology - If erythrocyte invasion is blocked during the blood stage of infection by Plasmodium parasites, malaria can be prevented. In this Review, structural insights on...

rdcu.be

The Higgins lab are proud to have received a Gold LEAF award, recognising our efforts to minimise the environmental impact of our research. Thanks to lab manager, Hannah Ivison, Alex Cook and to everyone in the lab for working on this together. More to do!

An exciting opportunity to start an independent position as a research fellow in protozoan parasitology at Christ's College, Cambridge and the Department of Pathology: www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/52020/

Delighted to share the final version of Richard Zhou's study on how the CD163 scavenger receptor cleans up after toxic haemoglobin spills out from our blood cells. An amazing grabber mechanism! rdcu.be/ewPA2

It was a huge privilege to start my research career at LMB. Hugely formative, giving the chance to interact with wonderful scientists, including pioneers of structural biology.

MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology@mrclmb.ac.uk · last yr.

Congratulations to #LMBAlumni Matt Higgins (@parasitematt.bsky.social) and Clemens Plaschka on their election to @embo.org 🎉

Honoured to be elected an EMBO member. Looking forward to being part of this wonderful organisation that does so much for European science. Also thanks to Kavli Oxford for always using a picture which makes me look 20 years young. I own you guys!

Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford@kavlioxford.bsky.social · last yr.

Congratulations to #KavliOxford Professor Matt Higgins on his election to EMBO Membership for 2025! 🎉 kavli.web.ox.ac.uk/article/matt...

Thanks Kavli for highlighting @sam-chamberlain.bsky.social ‘s work with our wonderful collaborators, Shiroh and Hisashi. New insights into how activating KIR receptors might help fight malaria!

Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford@kavlioxford.bsky.social · last yr.

#TuesdayReads: From Matt Higgins et al on how Plasmodium falciparum evades the immune system—revealing how PfEMP1 and RIFIN proteins help infected cells stick to tissues and escape immune attack. 👉 doi.org/10.1016/j.mi...

Fantastic news! 👏👏👏 How the #malaria #parasite evades the immune system… and how the human body fights back: @sam-chamberlain.bsky.social and @parasitematt.bsky.social @ox.ac.uk make ground-breaking discovery, just published in @nature.com. Read more ⬇️

A remarkable evolutionary battle between humans and malaria

How the malaria parasite evades the immune system... and how the human body fights back

bit.ly

Sam Chamberlain@sam-chamberlain.bsky.social · last yr.

Extremely happy to share the first paper of my postdoc work with @parasitematt. It is the product of a great collaboration with Akihito Sakoguchi, Hisashi Arase and Shiroh Iwanaga at Osaka University as well as Marcus Widdess and Mike Dustin here in Oxford. rdcu.be/eqx2J 🧵 1/6

Our latest story describes the amazing evolutionary battle between malaria parasite and human. The parasite evolved RIFINs to bind inhibitory KIR receptors and suppress immune cell function while humans have activating KIR receptors to bind these RIFINs to kill parasites!

Extremely happy to share the first paper of my postdoc work with @parasitematt. It is the product of a great collaboration with Akihito Sakoguchi, Hisashi Arase and Shiroh Iwanaga at Osaka University as well as Marcus Widdess and Mike Dustin here in Oxford. rdcu.be/eqx2J 🧵 1/6

Looking for a fully-funded D. Phil. / Ph.D. studentship in structural biology and vaccinology? Come to join our team. Fully and generously funded by a donation from the Kyner-Field family with full fees at overseas level. Join us! www.bioch.ox.ac.uk/studentships

Nawsad presented our structure-guided design of RH5top, our latest blood stage-malaria vaccine immunogen, in talk and poster at the Malaria Gordon conference. The culmination of many studies from the lab and collaborators and doing well in pre-clinical testing! More soon.

Pleased to share our review on two key families of proteins in the 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘶𝘮 arsenal: pfEMP1 and RIFINs. Both of these fascinating families facilitate immune evasion and survival within the human host during a malaria infection.⁣ ⁣ Read here: ⁣ kwnsfk27.r.eu-west-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F...

Sam, Shiroh and I wrote a review about the latest on the surface proteins of infected-erythrocytes in malaria. PfEMP1, RIFINs, weird antibodies and immune manipulation. Check it out here: authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S...

The symposium to celebrate Mark Carrington's career is coming soon. You have until 15th to book in. A great day of science, particularly if you are excited about kinetoplastids! And a day of celebration.

❗️Exciting upcoming post-doc opportunity in the lab❗️🔔 If you have expertise in cryo-EM and bacterial secretion systems are your thing, then I’ll soon be advertising a long-term position funded by Wellcome Trust. Feel free to DM or email for early enquiries.. Thanks!

A brilliant, kind, funny colleague gone too soon. We will miss you Bela. www.merton.ox.ac.uk/news/remembe...

Remembering Professor Béla Novák 1956 - 2025

With great sadness, we announce the loss of Professor Béla Novák.

merton.ox.ac.uk

We are recruiting @ox.ac.uk @dunnschool.bsky.social for a joint project between Kevin Foster's group and mine! Cluster hire of two postdocs interested in: 1) Mucosal immunology and oral vaccine development my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru... 2) Microbiology my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru... Please share!

Another job available in our team! We are seeking a project manager to help us to manage our malaria vaccine development projects. See here: my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...

We have a position available for a research assistant to join the team to test our rationally designed malaria vaccines. A fun job with a lovely team of people and an important project funded by the Gates Foundation. Come and join us! my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...

🚨 Retirement Symposium for Prof Mark Carrington of the University of Cambridge Our #Trypanosoma colleagues may want to attend this symposium in Cambridge on the 𝟐𝟒𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡, 2025 (register by the 15th!) - Details at QR code & tinyurl.com/2uw8tryu