Project name: Trypanosoma brucei

Description: Trypanosoma brucei, or African trypanosome, is a ubiquitous unicellular flagellated protozoan. It is the causal agent of African sleeping sickness and is transmitted by the tse-tse fly. African trypanosomiasis is a zoonosis and both cattle and wild game can act as reservoirs of human infective trypanosomes. The incidence of this disease in humans is considerable (up to 500,000 cases per year) and in most cases is fatal if left untreated. African trypanosomes are important model organisms to study antigenic variation, genetic exchange, among other interesting biological phenomena. The sequencing of T. brucei promotes insights into kinetoplastid biology.

Last updated: 2003-11-12