Microsporidia is the common name for a large group of obligately intracellular parasites that form environmentally resistant, infectious spores. Approximately 143 genera and more than 1,200 species are known. These organisms infect members of almost every class of vertebrates and invertebrates. At least 14 species are known to infect humans.

Microsporidia research efforts in the Sterling Parasitology Laboratories have contributed to improved cell culture methods which provides for large scale production of Encephalitozoon intestinals, E. hellem, and E. cuniculi spores, in vitro microwell plate viability assays for the determination of infectivity and genomic identification methods.

Research

Publications