Histomonas meleagridis is the infectious agent for histmoniasis, also known as blackhead disease. It infects gallinaceous birds with turkeys having the most extreme expression of the disease. It causes severe inflammation and necrosis in the ceca and liver, resulting in mortality rates of 80%-100%. H. meleagridis is poorly understood on a molecular level therefore, protocols for similar parasites may be adapted for use in gaining novel insights into the molecular pathogenesis of Histomonas. In this study, different concentrations of cell tak were tested to optimize cell adhesion. Parasites were also fluorescently stained and analyzed using a microscope and a flow cytometer. It was revealed that the 4x concentration of cell tak had the greatest retention of parasites after fixation and at six days post-fixation. The flow cytometer proved promising in differentiating the H. Meleagridis parasites and other matter within the in vitro cell culture. Future work will evaluate the effectiveness of other adhesive compounds for retention and improve flow cytometry analyses. Optimizing Staining and Microscopy Techniques for Histomonas meleagridis
WITH ALESSANDRO ROCCHI AND DR. ZHICHENG DOU, DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
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