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Parasitological research in the molecular age

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 June 2019

Christian Selbach Open the ORCID record for Christian Selbach [Opens in a new window] ,
Fátima Jorge Open the ORCID record for Fátima Jorge [Opens in a new window] ,
Eddy Dowle ,
Jerusha Bennett ,
Xuhong Chai ,
Jean-François Doherty ,
Alan Eriksson Open the ORCID record for Alan Eriksson [Opens in a new window] ,
Antoine Filion ,
Eleanor Hay  and
Ryan Herbison Open the ORCID record for Ryan Herbison [Opens in a new window]
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Christian Selbach*
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King St, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
Fátima Jorge
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King St, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
Eddy Dowle
Affiliation:
Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, 270 Great King St, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
Jerusha Bennett
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King St, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
Xuhong Chai
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King St, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
Jean-François Doherty
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King St, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
Alan Eriksson
Affiliation:
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, 79070-900 Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
Antoine Filion
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King St, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
Eleanor Hay
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King St, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
Ryan Herbison
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King St, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
Jocelyn Lindner
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King St, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
Eunji Park
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King St, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
Bronwen Presswell
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King St, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
Brandon Ruehle
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King St, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
Paulo M. Sobrinho
Affiliation:
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Etnobiologia e Conservação da Natureza, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manuel de Medeiros, Dois Irmãos, 52171-900 Recife, PE, Brazil
Eleanor Wainwright
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King St, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
Robert Poulin
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King St, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
*
Author for correspondence: Christian Selbach, E-mail: chris.selbach@gmail.com
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Abstract

New technological methods, such as rapidly developing molecular approaches, often provide new tools for scientific advances. However, these new tools are often not utilized equally across different research areas, possibly leading to disparities in progress between these areas. Here, we use empirical evidence from the scientific literature to test for potential discrepancies in the use of genetic tools to study parasitic vs non-parasitic organisms across three distinguishable molecular periods, the allozyme, nucleotide and genomics periods. Publications on parasites constitute only a fraction (<5%) of the total research output across all molecular periods and are dominated by medically relevant parasites (especially protists), particularly during the early phase of each period. Our analysis suggests an increasing complexity of topics and research questions being addressed with the development of more sophisticated molecular tools, with the research focus between the periods shifting from predominantly species discovery to broader theory-focused questions. We conclude that both new and older molecular methods offer powerful tools for research on parasites, including their diverse roles in ecosystems and their relevance as human pathogens. While older methods, such as barcoding approaches, will continue to feature in the molecular toolbox of parasitologists for years to come, we encourage parasitologists to be more responsive to new approaches that provide the tools to address broader questions.

Keywords

Allozymegenomicsmolecular toolsnucleotide sequencingpublication trends
Type
Review Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 146 , Issue 11 , September 2019 , pp. 1361 - 1370
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019 

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Footnotes

*

Authors contributed equally to this work.

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