Genotyping Entamoeba histolytica

Abstract

My project dealt with genotyping Entamoeba histolytica for a database that will enable comparison between symptomatic and non-symptomatic types. I was supervised directly by some of the senior researchers in the lab. My portion of the work involved the use of Entamoeba histolytica DNA collected from stool samples of patients at the ICDDR,B hospital and Mirpur cohort. I amplified the extracted DNA using primers based on the short tandem repeats between consecutive tRNA genes. The first month was spent trying to optimize the conditions for the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Analysis of the experimental data required online software in addition to patient details, to translate the results in the context of impacting infected patients. What I took away from the experience was being part of science in action, one that promised immediate applications in the medical field.