Parasites are organisms that live in or on a host organism and obtain nutrients at the host’s expense, forming a specialized ecological and evolutionary interaction characterized by dependence and often high host specificity. They encompass diverse taxa, including protozoa, helminths, arthropods, fungi, and some plants, and exhibit complex life cycles that may involve multiple hosts and vectors. Research topics on parasites address host–parasite coevolution, immune evasion strategies, transmission dynamics, virulence evolution, and the population genetics and genomics of parasite species, as well as their roles in ecosystems, disease emergence, and the modulation of host physiology and behavior.
A protein discovered in a Virginia Tech–led study may open a gateway to treatments for a parasite responsible for a deadly disease in immunocompromised people. The team led by Raj Gaji, assistant professor of parasitology ...
Cell & Microbiology
Oct 22, 2026
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85
In the southern United States and across Latin America, kissing bugs can bite people and pets both outdoors and when they enter homes. While not every kissing bug carries disease, these insects can spread a parasite that ...
Veterinary medicine
Oct 21, 2026
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14
Giardia duodenalis is a microscopic, flagellated parasite that often calls the human and animal gut its home. In most cases, it coexists harmlessly with its host, and most infected pets and people show no signs of illness. ...
Scientists have discovered a previously unknown microorganism that has the smallest genome ever found and may be able to replicate and express its own genetic information.
Evolution
Oct 9, 2026
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54
The Egyptian goose, native to Africa, is considered an invasive species of Europe-wide significance. Researchers from the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center and Goethe University Frankfurt spent four years ...
Plants & Animals
Oct 6, 2026
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13
National happiness is influenced by complex relationships beyond basic economic factors, according to a study by Javier I. Borráz-León of the Secretariat of Science, Humanities, Technology, and Innovation in Mexico City and ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 30, 2026
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Like many parasites, nematomorphs are known to manipulate their hosts' behavior to complete their life cycles. Also known as horsehair worms, among other names, these creatures develop in their hosts' body cavities and lure ...
Ecology
Sep 29, 2026
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9
Before the parasite Toxoplasma gondii can invade a cell, it has to know it has reached the right place. New research from the Whitehead Institute reveals that the parasite doesn't simply recognize a ready-made doorway into ...
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 25, 2026
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38
Populations of the Western honeybee (Apis mellifera) are under immense pressure in the wild in Europe. New research published in Conservation Science and Practice by researchers at the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 17, 2026
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59
Parasites in wildlife don't just pose a risk to their wild hosts—they can also spread to domestic animals and humans, making safe and reliable ways to screen for these pests critical to promoting better health for all.
Veterinary medicine
Sep 14, 2026
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11
