Shows
Curiosity UnboundedToxoplasma and the Human Host — Sebastian LouridoSebastian Lourido is an associate professor of biology and a member of the Whitehead Institute. Sebastian studies human pathogens and seeks to unravel the genetic pathways that help parasites like Toxoplasma gondii exist in human cells. He hopes that his work will lead to new treatments for toxoplasmosis as well as drugs that could treat diseases caused by similar parasites.Show notes and transcript:https://news.mit.edu/podcast/podcast-curiosity-unbounded-episode-16-toxoplasma-and-human-hostJoin the mailing list or send us feedback:https://eepurl.com/ixPQPA
2026-01-1441 min
Tumble Science Podcast for KidsThe Mind Control Cat ParasiteIt’s a Halloween episode! “There’s a scary secret lurking in the kitty litter…” We’re making a horror movie about a common cat parasite - that can control minds! Toxoplasma gondii makes mice lose their fear of cats, in a plot to take over the world! Biologist Sebastian Lourido helps us tell the true tale of toxoplasma’s quest for cat domination, and what scientists are doing to stop the parasite in its banana-shaped tracks.
2023-10-2723 min
Getting Better with Jonathan Van NessAre Parasites Out To Get Us? with Dr. Sebastian LouridoParasites are everywhere: in our bodies, in our water, even in our cats’ litter boxes. Are they agents of chaos—or just misunderstood? This week, Dr. Sebastian Lourido joins Jonathan to discuss the epic world of parasites, from pinworms to toxoplasma gondii to, yes, humans. Parasites! They’re everything, everywhere, all at once.
Dr. Sebastian Lourido is an Associate Professor of Biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a member of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research. Lourido grew up in Colombia before attending Tulane University, where he earned degrees in Art and Biolog...
2023-07-191h 21
Chasing LifeThe Health Benefits of PetsHow do pets impact our bodies and brains? Are dogs really “man’s best friend”? And are we being mind-controlled by our cats? CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta hears from animal behaviorist Professor Monique Udell about the ways pets make us healthier and happier – and how the animals benefit from this, too! Plus, molecular parasitologist Professor Sebastian Lourido shares the wild story of a common cat-borne parasite that may affect our behavior.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. V...
2022-03-0128 min
Biologists Being BasicToxoplasma Gondii Part 1: The Cat ParasiteIn this episode, Biologists Being Basic (B3) hosts Paige, Gina and Robyn talk to special guest, Professor Pascale Guiton, about her research on the fascinating life cycle of Toxoplasma gondii. In part one, we take a deeper look into the science behind the king of parasites.
Further Resources:
For further information on topics we talked about in Episode 7: Part 1, we highly recommend visiting Professor Guiton’s website and looking into her publications: https://guitonlab.com/
In addition, you can watch Dr. Guiton talk about Toxoplasma gondii and her research on QBI TV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckixqEbxZfs
For an...
2020-11-1153 min
iBiology Videos Without SubtitlesSebastian Lourido Part 2: Genetic Approaches to Study Toxoplasma gondiiSince little is known about the Toxoplasma gondii genome, in his second iBiology seminar, Lourido explains how his lab developed CRISPR tools to study apicomplexan biology. His lab designed a strain of T. gondii constitutively expressing Cas9 that can be used in conjunction with guide libraries to identify biologically significant genes. Lourido explains how his lab used this system to identify genes encoding proteins necessary for apicomplexan invasion. These include a claudin-like protein, that they are calling CLAMP, that is conserved across apicomplexa and is necessary for invasion by both toxoplasma and the parasites that cause malaria.
2020-09-2728 miniBiology Videos Without SubtitlesSebastian Lourido Part 1: Toxoplasma gondii: A Model ApicomplexanApicomplexa are evolutionarily distinct eukaryotes that play an important role in human diseases such as toxoplasmosis and malaria. So how do scientists study their unique biology? Dr. Sebastian Lourido explains that his lab uses Toxoplasma gondii as a model to study the phylum Apicomplexa. In part one of his talk, he explains the complex life cycle of T. gondii and he describes the unique organelles found in apicomplexa and used to facilitate invasion, survival and replication inside host cells. He highlights research from his lab demonstrating the importance of calcium signaling for T. gondii invasion.
2019-09-2729 min
AudioHelicaseWhitehead’s Sebastian Lourido on Toxoplasma, malaria parasites, and global healthWhitehead Member Sebastian Lourido studies a group of parasites called the Apicomplexa. These single-celled organisms are among the most common pathogens and are capable of causing devastating diseases in humans and animals, including toxoplasmosis, malaria, and infant diarrhea. Lourido’s laboratory is investigating in particular how the Apicomplexan Toxoplasma gondii invades host cells and establishes its site of replication. The work holds great promise for exposing treatable vulnerabilities in the parasite—and in the closely related Plasmodium parasites, which cause malaria and contribute to more than half a million deaths each year.
2017-11-2115 min