Dr Pieter Steketee

BBSRC Discovery Fellow

Biography

Background

I obtained my PhD from the University of Glasgow, where I carried out research on the mode of action and resistance of anti-parasitic drugs against African trypanosomes. These parasites cause Sleeping Sickness in humans and Animal trypanosomiasis in livestock. Whilst I focused on the human disease during my PhD, I moved to the Roslin Institute in 2015 in order to switch my focus to trypanosomes that infect livestock, in particular cattle. I have worked on several aspects of trypanosome biology in order to understand how these livestock parasites are able to survive in their host, and how they become resistant to drugs.

In 2023, I was awarded a BBSRC Discovery Fellowship at the Roslin Institute, in order to pursue independent research interests, primarily investigating metabolic regulation in African trypanosomes, with a view to the development of novel and improved diagnostics and chemotherapeutics.

Qualifications

2016 - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Glasgow. Thesis title: "Investigating the mode of action of AN5568, a novel therapeutic against African Trypanosomiasis"

2012 - Master of Research (MRes), University of Glasgow. Molecular Functions of Disease

2011 - Bachelor of Science (BSc) with Honours., University of Manchester, in Genetics

Research summary

I am interested in the metabolism of protozoan parasites of livestock and how this impacts upon host-pathogen interactions. Metabolism, the biochemical reactions occurring in all living cells, influences many important parasite traits, including virulence and drug resistance. I work primarily on the clinically relevant African trypanosomes, Trypanosoma congolense, T. vivax and T. brucei, using biochemical approaches to understand how these parasites are able to survive in the livestock host (in particular, the cow). My work aims to understand how parasites choose to scavenge or synthesise metabolites, as these processes shed light on the metabolic strategies employed by parasites to thrive within their host environment. Ultimately, this work aims to identify new avenues for chemotherapeutic interventions.

Current research interests

My current fellowship is focused on fatty acid metabolism in African livestock trypanosomes. Fatty acids are the building blocks of many molecules in cells, including both host and parasite. Within the African trypanosome species, we have found differences in the way these parasites obtain these important molecules. Whilst T. brucei primarily synthesises fatty acids, we have found that T. congolense prefers to scavenge them from the host environment. These differences are likely to impact upon host-pathogen interactions as well as drug efficacy. Our current research aims to identify the key biological processes underlying the parasites' ability to decide whether to scavenge or synthesise fatty acids

In the press

https://www.ctlgh.org/parasite-insight-could-help-treat-livestock-infection/ - Press release about recent research findings

https://vet.ed.ac.uk/roslin/news-events/meet-our-scientists/dr-pieter-steketee-on-studying-parasites-affecting - Interview with the Roslin Institute Research Comms Team

https://sulsa.ac.uk/salt-tz/ - Web page for the Symposium on African Livestock Trypanosomes, Tanzania (SALT-Tz) meeting that was held in Arusha, Tanzania in February 2023

 

 

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