Sophie Spector: Elucidating the Role of the Argonaute Protein in Trichomonas Vaginalis Gene Expression Regulation

Sophie Nicole Spector

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Elucidating the Role of the Argonaute Protein in Trichomonas Vaginalis Gene Expression Regulation   

T. vaginalis is a parasite responsible for trichomoniasis, the world’s most common non-viral STI. While T. vaginalis has been associated with several long-term health outcomes, aspects of its biology remain poorly understood. Gene regulation is particularly significant in order to explain its pathology and rates of drug resistance. It has been hypothesized that a mechanism known as a PIWI-interacting RNA interference (piRNAi) pathway, which uses the Argonaute protein, is responsible for regulating specific elements in the T. vaginalis genome. Spector’s research interrogates the role of Argonaute through two assays.