Welcome to the Bhanot Lab, where we combine fundamental parasite biology with drug discovery to fight one of humanity's most persistent infectious diseases. 

Malaria remains a global health crisis, claiming hundreds of thousands of lives annually - most of them young children. As current antimalarial therapies face growing drug resistance, there is an urgent need for novel strategies to prevent and treat infection. Our lab addresses this challenge by targeting critical vulnerabilities in Plasmodium parasites at the molecular level, leveraging these biological insights to develop next-generation malaria therapeutics. 

Deciphering Parasite Signaling & Protein Degradation When Plasmodium sporozoites enter a host, they must navigate to and invade liver cells (hepatocytes) before infecting red blood cells (erythrocytes). We study the essential molecular triggers driving this journey, focusing particularly on parasite-specific protein kinases such as PKG and CDPK4. 

Our team demonstrated that inhibiting Plasmodium PKG genetically or chemically completely prevents liver-stage infection in mouse models. Intrigued by how PKG exerts its effects, we recently discovered that PKG likely phosphorylates a subunit of the parasite’s 19S proteasome regulatory particle - revealing a surprising intersection between kinase signaling and the parasite’s protein degradation machinery. We are currently mapping how phosphorylation regulates proteasome assembly to maintain parasite survival. 

Mapping Endoplasmic Reticulum Architecture & Viability The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a vital cellular factory responsible for protein synthesis, lipid synthesis, and calcium storage. In P. falciparum, the ER forms an intricate network of tubules and sheets, but how the parasite builds and maintains this architecture has remained a mystery. 

We have identified key parasite proteins responsible for generating membrane curvature and fusing ER tubules into a functional network. Crucially, knocking out these structural proteins proves lethal to the parasite. Our ongoing work explores precisely how disrupting ER morphology triggers parasite death, opening up an entirely new structural target for drug intervention. 

Translating Biology into Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Understanding parasite biology is only half the battle—we actively translate our discovery science into real-world solutions. Our ultimate goal is to develop pre-exposure prophylaxis that stops malaria in its tracks. 

In close collaboration with medicinal chemists, we are developing potent, safe, and long-acting inhibitors tailored specifically to P. falciparum PKG. Through active hit-to-lead optimization of promising pyrrole scaffolds, we are generating highly selective molecules designed to protect vulnerable populations and beat drug resistance. 

We are always looking for passionate students, postdocs, and collaborators to join our team. If you are excited by molecular parasitology, chemical biology, and translational medicine, explore our publications or contact us directly