Malaria data opened up to combat drug resistance

A huge trove of aggregated data on malaria parasites from around the globe is unlocking genetic secrets on the organism’s evolution and could assist in the mounting battle against drug resistance, experts say.

Scientists analysed genetic variations of 7,000 Plasmodium falciparum parasites from 28 countries, and curated the data to make it accessible to other researchers, including those without expertise in genetics.

The open access dataset, analysed in a study that is currently undergoing peer review in the journal Wellcome Open Research, represents the world’s largest resource of genomic data on malaria parasite evolution and drug resistance, according to the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK.