Profile: Dr David Baker
Dr David Baker from the Pathogen Molecular Biology Unit talks about his career and research
"I was a keen natural historian from childhood, and that interest inspired me to do a zoology degree. I graduated from the University of Hull in 1984 then stayed on to do a PhD, intrigued by the emerging discipline of Molecular Biology. My project focused on the intestinal protozoan Giardia lamblia. I used the new molecular techniques to investigate the interaction of microtubule-binding proteins within the organism’s attachment disc, to further understand how this organelle interacts with the host’s intestinal wall. As a spin-off from this project, I also used the reagents I had generated to develop a diagnostic test for giardiasis. I was excited by the opportunity to make a difference to the diagnosis and treatment of parasitic infections.
So after completing my PhD in 1988, I moved to the School to work with Professor Geoff Targett on the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. I used my molecular training to isolate genes specific to the sexual stages of P. falciparum, and to produce recombinant proteins that might prove effective in eliciting antibodies capable of blocking parasite transmission. Professor Targett encouraged me to pursue my interest in this area and to take on research students of my own.
Then in 1996 I received a Wellcome Trust Project Grant to investigate signal transduction molecules in the malaria parasite. These are enzymes that mediate the chemical signals an organism receives from its environment, and trigger appropriate responses. I was particularly interested in a family of enzymes implicated in triggering sexual development of the parasite in the human host, but which was also thought to play a key role in initiating male gametogenesis in the mosquito vector. This area became my primary research focus. If we could understand how the sexual phase of the parasite’s life cycle is triggered we might be able to develop drugs that interfere with the process - drugs that would help prevent transmission of the disease in endemic areas. In the following years, several key events shaped the development of my research group.
In 1999 I gained a Wellcome Trust University Award, which allowed me to seek additional funding and expand the team. The establishment of the School’s Malaria Centre at that time was also important, as it enabled us to interact with scientists involved with all aspects of malaria research.
Then in 2002, with genome data from the malaria parasite available, I joined an international consortium aimed at using functional genomics to study the biology of host-malaria parasite interactions. The promise of this genome data, along with the development of techniques to genetically manipulate the parasite, make this is an exciting time to be involved in malaria research. The genome sequence of the malaria parasite has now been completed, as well as those of the human host and mosquito vector. New anti-malarial drugs are already being tested as a direct result of the Plasmodium genome data.
Being at the School makes us ideally placed to take advantage of these developments. The range of expertise available here means that we can do everything from studying the basic biology of an organism, through evaluating potential drug targets, to testing a new drug both in the laboratory and in field trials - something that I find particularly attractive."
Professor Brendan Wren also works in the Pathogen Molecular Biology Unit
