Nearly 225 million cases of malaria were confirmed worldwide in 2009, causing 781,000 deaths. A majority of those deaths were among children in sub-Saharan Africa according to the World Health Organization. In this project the SIGLEC14/5 fusion gene was tested for its association with severe malaria, a complicated form of the disease, to help determine whether this copy number variant (CNV) plays a role in the genetic risk of severe malaria. Matched malarial cases and controls from Tanzania were genotyped using conventional PCR methods, then the data was compiled. The results indicate there is a possible association between this fusion gene and severe malaria. Further studies will need to be completed to confirm these assumptions.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Markham, Laura Marisa

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-042811-112748

Advisor

• Adams, David S.

Year

• 2011

Sponsor

• UMass Med

Date created

• 2011-04-28

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Biology & Biotechnology

Rights statement

• In Copyright