Scavenger receptor CD163 detoxes #hemoglobin (Hb) via haptoglobin–Hb (Hp-Hb) uptake, but can also bind free Hb directly. Richard Zhou & @parasitematt.bsky.social solve the CD163-Hb structure to reveal that CD163 arms allow receptor promiscuity when Hp is absent @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4eOLuIv

Our latest study of the scavenger receptor CD163, led by Richard Zhou. This follows our previous study of how CD163 uses its remarkable molecular architecture to bind haptoglobin-haemoglobin. We now show how its flexible arms allow haemoglobin binding, revealing how ligand promiscuity works.

Structure-guided design of a PfCyRPA-based #vaccine against blood-stage #malaria ➡️ doi.org/10.1038/s44321-026-00376-x By N. Alam, @parasitematt.bsky.social and colleagues @ox.ac.uk @kavlioxford.bsky.social

Introducing our new blood-stage malaria vaccine immunogen based on the essential invasion protein PfCyRPA. By understanding where on PfCyRPA the best antibodies bind, we used structure guided design to generate PfCyRPA-EM, which contains only the epitopes of the best antibodies.

Excited about parasites? Love watching movies? Come join our Wellcome-funded project! Parasitology friends, please do share far and wide.

We are very much looking forward to being @courbongautier.bsky.social’s new home!!

Check out our latest study on the PfRIPR protein, essential for the malaria parasite to get inside our blood cells. We show how antibodies block the function of PfRIPR by preventing its flexible hinges from bending, or by stopping it from compacting as part of its mechanism.

Very proud!

Delighted to review the latest findings on how malaria parasites get into our blood cells and how we might stop it!

Delighted to share our review on how those malaria parasites get into our blood cells and how we might stop them. rdcu.be/eGnUl

The Higgins lab are proud to have received a Gold LEAF award, recognising our efforts to minimise the environmental impact of our research. Thanks to lab manager, Hannah Ivison, Alex Cook and to everyone in the lab for working on this together. More to do!

An exciting opportunity to start an independent position as a research fellow in protozoan parasitology at Christ's College, Cambridge and the Department of Pathology: www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/52020/

Delighted to share the final version of Richard Zhou's study on how the CD163 scavenger receptor cleans up after toxic haemoglobin spills out from our blood cells. An amazing grabber mechanism! rdcu.be/ewPA2

It was a huge privilege to start my research career at LMB. Hugely formative, giving the chance to interact with wonderful scientists, including pioneers of structural biology.

Honoured to be elected an EMBO member. Looking forward to being part of this wonderful organisation that does so much for European science. Also thanks to Kavli Oxford for always using a picture which makes me look 20 years young. I own you guys!

Thanks Kavli for highlighting @sam-chamberlain.bsky.social ‘s work with our wonderful collaborators, Shiroh and Hisashi. New insights into how activating KIR receptors might help fight malaria!

Fantastic news! 👏👏👏 How the #malaria #parasite evades the immune system… and how the human body fights back: @sam-chamberlain.bsky.social and @parasitematt.bsky.social @ox.ac.uk make ground-breaking discovery, just published in @nature.com. Read more ⬇️

Our latest story describes the amazing evolutionary battle between malaria parasite and human. The parasite evolved RIFINs to bind inhibitory KIR receptors and suppress immune cell function while humans have activating KIR receptors to bind these RIFINs to kill parasites!

Extremely happy to share the first paper of my postdoc work with @parasitematt. It is the product of a great collaboration with Akihito Sakoguchi, Hisashi Arase and Shiroh Iwanaga at Osaka University as well as Marcus Widdess and Mike Dustin here in Oxford. rdcu.be/eqx2J 🧵 1/6

Looking for a fully-funded D. Phil. / Ph.D. studentship in structural biology and vaccinology? Come to join our team. Fully and generously funded by a donation from the Kyner-Field family with full fees at overseas level. Join us! www.bioch.ox.ac.uk/studentships

Nawsad presented our structure-guided design of RH5top, our latest blood stage-malaria vaccine immunogen, in talk and poster at the Malaria Gordon conference. The culmination of many studies from the lab and collaborators and doing well in pre-clinical testing! More soon.

Pleased to share our review on two key families of proteins in the 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘶𝘮 arsenal: pfEMP1 and RIFINs. Both of these fascinating families facilitate immune evasion and survival within the human host during a malaria infection.⁣ ⁣ Read here: ⁣ kwnsfk27.r.eu-west-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F...

Sam, Shiroh and I wrote a review about the latest on the surface proteins of infected-erythrocytes in malaria. PfEMP1, RIFINs, weird antibodies and immune manipulation. Check it out here: authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S...

The symposium to celebrate Mark Carrington's career is coming soon. You have until 15th to book in. A great day of science, particularly if you are excited about kinetoplastids! And a day of celebration.

❗️Exciting upcoming post-doc opportunity in the lab❗️🔔 If you have expertise in cryo-EM and bacterial secretion systems are your thing, then I’ll soon be advertising a long-term position funded by Wellcome Trust. Feel free to DM or email for early enquiries.. Thanks!

A brilliant, kind, funny colleague gone too soon. We will miss you Bela. www.merton.ox.ac.uk/news/remembe...

We are recruiting @ox.ac.uk @dunnschool.bsky.social for a joint project between Kevin Foster's group and mine! Cluster hire of two postdocs interested in: 1) Mucosal immunology and oral vaccine development my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru... 2) Microbiology my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru... Please share!

Another job available in our team! We are seeking a project manager to help us to manage our malaria vaccine development projects. See here: my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...

We have a position available for a research assistant to join the team to test our rationally designed malaria vaccines. A fun job with a lovely team of people and an important project funded by the Gates Foundation. Come and join us! my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...

🚨 Retirement Symposium for Prof Mark Carrington of the University of Cambridge Our #Trypanosoma colleagues may want to attend this symposium in Cambridge on the 𝟐𝟒𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡, 2025 (register by the 15th!) - Details at QR code & tinyurl.com/2uw8tryu

Come and celebrate the exceptional career of Mark Carrington (24th March at University of Cambridge)!

It is a great honour to invite you to a symposium to celebrate the career of Mark Carrington. An exciting set of talks, particularly if you are fascinated by trypanosomes.

For more information, visit their website at higginslab.web.ox.ac.uk @parasitematt.bsky.social @medsci.ox.ac.uk @ox.ac.uk @kavlifoundation.bsky.social

Congratulations to @sam-chamberlain.bsky.social for winning the best talk prize at today's UK Natural Killer cell meeting!

A really fun day out at the UK NK cell meeting. Thanks to @mjwsim.bsky.social for organising a great day and for inviting @sam-chamberlain.bsky.social to talk about his work on how RIFINs bind to the KIR immune receptors to modulate NK function in malaria.

New science from Richard Zhou... When our blood cells lyse, they release haemoglobin, which is dangerous to our body when free. We detoxify this by binding it to a serum protein, haptoglobin and taking it up into macrophages, using the receptor CD163. Richard showed how CD163 works!

Congratulations to Dr Richard Zhou! And thanks to his lovely examiners @doryenbubeck.bsky.social and Yvonne Jones for giving him a really engaging viva. Watch out for his nice paper, coming soon. A proud supervisor.

Welcome to @melissa-natalie.bsky.social! Outstanding parasite biologist. Wellcome fellow. Expert on how malaria parasites get into our blood cells! So many cool discoveries on the way!

Congratulations to Kuang-Ting Ko (Higgins Lab) on passing her viva! Her thesis title is "Structural Characterisation of Antigens for Malaria Transmission-Blocking Vaccines", and her examiners were Andrew Blagborough (Cambridge University) & Clinton Lau (@BiochemOxford).

A very rare position for an immunology professorship at Cambridge. Something to think about! www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/49381/

Congratulations to Dr Kuang-Ting! Expert on the gametocyte surface and structural characteriser of transmission blocking malaria vaccine immunogens. I’m a proud supervisor today!

Exciting 3-year postdoc opportunity with @carter-lab.bsky.social within a programme aimed at identifying the links between microtubule motors and axonal cargos. Read more about the role here: www.nature.com/naturecareer... Apply by 30 DEC #ScienceJobs #CambridgeJobs #PostdocJobs #GenomeEngineering

Introducing @bethbs.bsky.social who is working out what makes trypanosomes able to infect humans!

Heading down to @wellcometrust.bsky.social for a meeting of PhD program directors. We have been hugely grateful for 25 years support for our Structural Biology PhD program. Only this week I caught up with one of our previous students, @augustsilale.bsky.social, still making exciting discoveries!!

Welcome to @alexandercook.bsky.social. Expert on the trypanosome surface and discoverer of mechanisms of complement regulation.

Welcome to @sam-chamberlain.bsky.social. Expert in understanding how malaria parasites play games with our immune receptors.

I’m looking forward to hearing Irene Tracey, our Vice Chancellor, editing the radio 4 today program. Expecting lots of sparky insights into brains, science and how to make universities flourish.

🚨🚨one more week to apply for our Research Assistant position in Tissue Immunology in Manchester! Interested in infection, immunometabolism & sickness behaviour? Then come join me & @juanquintana.bsky.social #Immunosky #LGBTQSTEM 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🧪 #Academicsky www.jobs.manchester.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...

When visiting Manchester it is always good to pay homage to Alan Turing. Did this amazing man think that he would have a statue and a fancy building named after him as he suffered chemical castration for being gay. A brutal reminder of how things were and that we must always fight not to go back.