Dr Alex Maier. Photo by Belinda Pratten.
Researchers are locked in a battle to beat a global killer, but the malaria parasite has been around for millennia and still has some deadly tricks up its sleeve, writes CASEY HAMILTON. Alexander Maier's sterile, air-conditioned research laboratory is in stark contrast to the hot, humid and often unhygienic environment in which malaria is common. Here, surrounded by the beeping of scientific equipment rather than the buzzing of mosquitoes, he is hoping to find the malaria parasite's molecular Achilles' heel. Maier, who joined the Research School of Biology in the ANU College of Medicine, Biology and Environment earlier this year, says the parasite that causes malaria has been plaguing humankind for thousands of years. "The impact of malaria is enormous. Almost a million people die each year of the disease. Mankind has been trying to find a cure for hundreds of years - you can even find the parasites in Egyptian mummies," he says.
TO READ THIS ARTICLE, CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT
And extend your reading, free of charge and with no commitment.
