Sinnis Lab
Understanding the molecular interactions between sporozoites and their mosquito and mammalian hosts
About the Sinnis Lab
The Sinnis Laboratory is part of the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, committed to the pursuit of basic science research that translates into solutions targeting one of the most important infectious diseases in the world.
The Sinnis Lab studies how the infective sporozoite stage of the malaria parasite interacts with both mosquito and mammalian hosts to inform vaccine development.
Research Overview
Our research focuses on the infective stage of the malaria parasite, sporozoites, which are inoculated into the skin by infected mosquitoes. Sporozoites make an impressive journey from the midgut wall of the mosquito where they emerge from oocysts, to their final destination, the mammalian liver.
Using biochemical, cell biological, and genetic approaches as well as intravital imaging and proteomics, we aim to understand the molecular interactions between sporozoites and their mosquito and mammalian hosts that enable the parasite to initiate infection.
Recently we have started investigating the quantitative dynamics of sporozoite transmission, an understudied yet important area of inquiry if we are to improve our epidemiologic models and define the minimum efficacy required of transmission blocking interventions.
Sinnis Lab Research Highlight
Research led by postdoctoral fellows Sachie Kanatani, PhD, and Debbie Stiffler, PhD, showed that, counter to previous conclusions, higher mosquito parasite burdens are associated with higher inocula and thus, more likely to initiate infection and contribute to further transmission. The paper “Revisiting the Plasmodium sporozoite inoculum and elucidating the efficiency with which malaria parasites progress through the mosquito” was published in Nature Communications and describes the methods used to demonstrate this novel finding.
Selected Publications
- The Plasmodium CSP repeats have elastic properties with a critical role in sporozoite motility. Balaban AE, Kanatani S, Mitra J, Gregory J, Vartak N, Sinnis-Bourozikas A, Frischknecht F, Ha T, Sinnis P. EMBO J. 2025, 44(21):6253-6272. doi: 10.1038/s44318-025-00551-9. PMID: 40983687
- Revisiting the Plasmodium sporozoite inoculum and elucidating the efficiency with which malaria parasites progress through the mosquito. Kanatani S, Stiffler D, Bousema T, Yenokyan G, Sinnis P. Nat Commun. 2024, 15(1):748. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-44962-4. PMID: 38272943
- Experimental determination of the force of malaria infection reveals a non-linear relationship to mosquito sporozoite loads. Aleshnick M, Ganusov VV, Nasir G, Yenokyan G, Sinnis P. PLoS Pathog. 2020, 16(5):e1008181. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008181. PMID: 32453765
- Antibody-Mediated Protection against Plasmodium Sporozoites Begins at the Dermal Inoculation Site. Flores-Garcia Y, Nasir G, Hopp CS, Munoz C, Balaban AE, Zavala F, Sinnis P. mBio. 2018, 9(6):e02194-18. doi: 10.1128/mBio.02194-18. PMID: 30459199
- Longitudinal analysis of Plasmodium sporozoite motility in the dermis reveals component of blood vessel recognition. Hopp CS, Chiou K, Ragheb DR, Salman AM, Khan SM, Liu AJ, Sinnis P. Elife. 2015, 4:e07789. doi: 10.7554/eLife.07789. PMID: 26271010
- The malaria circumsporozoite protein has two functional domains, each with distinct roles as sporozoites journey from mosquito to mammalian host. Coppi A, Natarajan R, Pradel G, Bennett BL, James ER, Roggero MA, Corradin G, Persson C, Tewari R, Sinnis P. J Exp Med. 2011, 208(2):341-56. doi: 10.1084/jem.20101488. PMID: 21262960
How to Join the Sinnis Lab
The Sinnis lab members join us through different pathways. Common ways to join the lab are below.
PhD Students
The Sinnis lab is part of several PhD programs at Johns Hopkins University. Visit the websites below to learn more about the specifics of each program and the admissions process.
Master's Students
The Sinnis lab takes students from the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology's Master of Health Science and Master of Science programs, as well as the Bloomberg School's Master of Public Health (MPH) program and the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology's Master of Science program.
Postdoctoral Fellows
To apply to work as a postdoctoral fellow, contact Professor Photini Sinnis at psinnis1@jhu.edu and send a CV and a cover letter explaining your interest in the research. In addition to training within the Sinnis lab, the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology has an active postdoctoral training program.