Alex Cook @alexandercook.bsky.social · 21/08/2026Excited to share a new preprint: we've discovered a new complement system inhibitor on the African trypanosome surface! It traps the short-lived C3 convertase in a catalytically inactive state. It was a fun journey discovering and characterising this protein! Read it here: doi.org/10.64898/202... 030
Reposted by Alex CookFaria Tryps Lab @fariatrypslab.bsky.social · 30/03/2026(1/7) How does T. brucei achieve a 140-fold stoichiometric excess of VSG mRNA over upstream ESAGs from a single polycistronic unit? Our latest research in @natmicrobiol.nature.com reveals a mechanism of spatially regulated RNA decay to fine-tune expression of virulence genes 23416
Alex Cook @alexandercook.bsky.social · 09/03/2026This is very exciting! www.science.org/content/arti...science.org‘Truly spectacular’ drug for sleeping sickness simplifies treatment, raising hopes for eradicationEuropean regulators greenlight new one-dose compound that could help African countries get rid of an ancient burden 000
Reposted by Alex CookMatt Higgins @parasitematt.bsky.social · 03/03/2026Introducing 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. 1158
Alex Cook @alexandercook.bsky.social · 26/02/2026Great to see this paper from Sourav and the Carrington Lab out! Receptors are not hiding as much in the African trypanosome flagella pocket as previously thought. In @elife.bsky.social: Cell surface localisation of GPI-anchored receptors in Trypanosoma brucei doi.org/10.7554/eLif...doi.orgCell surface localisation of GPI-anchored receptors in Trypanosoma brucei 021
Reposted by Alex CookMatt Higgins @parasitematt.bsky.social · 18/07/2025Delighted 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 02310
Reposted by Alex CookSam Chamberlain @sam-chamberlain.bsky.social · 12/06/2025Extremely 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 12312