Biosketch:
BS Massachusetts Institute of Technology
PhD University of Pennsylvania

Research Summary:
My lab is interested in the intestinal parasite Entamoeba histolytica, which causes amoebic dysentery in ~100 million people each year around the world. The environmentally resistant cyst form of E. histolytica is ingested in contaminated food and water and converts to the growing amoeba form in the small intestine. The amoeba then colonize the large intestine to cause symptomatic or asymptomatic infection. Amoebas then convert back to the cyst form and exit the body to disseminate disease.

The focus of our lab is on the metabolic and genetic reprogramming that occurs during conversion between the amoeba and cyst forms. We are particularly interested in the early stages of these processes.

Selected Publications:
J Wesel and C Ingram-Smith. 2023. Glycogen metabolism and its role in growth and encystation in Entamoeba histolytica. Life 13:1529.

T Dang*, M Angel*, J Cho, D Nguyen, and C Ingram-Smith. 2022. The role of acetate kinase in the human parasite Entamoeba histolytica. Parasitologia 2:147-159. (* these authors contributed equally)

J Wesel, J Shuman, I Bastuzel, J Dickerson, and C Ingram-Smith. 2021. Encystation of Entamoeba histolytica in axenic culture. Microorganisms 9:873.

T Dang and C Ingram-Smith. 2017. Investigation of pyrophosphate versus ATP substrate selection in the Entamoeba histolytica acetate kinase. Scientific Reports 7:article number 5912.

C Jones, K Khan, and C Ingram-Smith. 2017. Investigating the mechanism of ADP-forming acetyl-CoA synthetase from the protozoan parasite Entamoeba histolytica. FEBS Letters 591:603-612.

C Jones and C Ingram-Smith. 2014. Biochemical and kinetic characterization of the recombinant ADP-forming acetyl-CoA synthetase from the amitochondriate protozoan Entamoeba histolytica. Eukaryotic Cell 13:1530-1537.