Antimicrobial properties of Ascaris suum body cavity fluid

This threat is set to grow in the coming years due to global warming increasing the range of parasites and their hosts, growing global populations requiring more intensive farming, and increasing human migration resulting in further parasite spread. The current control of helminths relies on anthelmintic drug administration however the overuse of such drugs is resulting in the rise of anthelmintic resistance.

Novel control mechanisms, including anthelmintics with original modes of action, are necessary to regain control over parasitic nematode infections. A lack of understanding of nematode parasite biology hinders the production of new control mechanisms, and so research now turns to better understanding parasite biology. Additionally, intestinal parasitic nematodes are an attractive model organism to investigate how the nematode survives in a microbe-rich environment with the view to discovering new antimicrobial peptides which might be used as a template for novel antibiotics.<br><br><br>This thesis employs a range of microbial and molecular assays to better understand the dynamic environment of Ascaris suum pseudocoelomic fluid (PCF) and its role in worm health and immune response.