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Dr\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\nPawan Malhotra’s group at ICGEB has been involved in understanding malaria parasite\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\nbiology with an aim to identify new drug and vaccine targets. Recently the\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\ngroup has demonstrated Plasmodium Heme\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\nDetoxification Protein (HDP) protein as a target for new drug discovery (J. Med Chem. 2017). Earlier, the laboratory illustrated a\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\nhemoglobin degradation and Hemozoin (Hz) formation complex and showed the mode\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\nof action of two current anti-malarials; chloroquine and artimisinin. Presently\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\nthey are working on the discovery new class of antimalarials that act on this\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\npathway. A part of this work has been\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\npublished in Proc Natl Acad Sci, USA,\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n2013. Dr Malhotra\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s group has illustrated “ Methylome” of Plasmodium\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\nfalciparum for the first time at asexual blood stages. The group has performed systematic studies to\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\nidentify 27 novel secretory proteins with adhesive, immunomodulatory and\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\nsignaling domains and characterized two of these proteins; PfDegP and PfCCp1\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\nfor their roles in combating oxidative/thermal stresses. (Mol. Cell. Prot,  2009; FEBS J,\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\n2013 & Biochem J, 2018).  The\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\ngroup has also been involved in identifying novel receptor-ligand interactions\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\nwith an aim to develop an efficacious malaria vaccine or drug that can block\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\nmerozoite invasion of human RBCs. They identified ICAMs and Cyclophilin B as\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\ncommon receptors for the invasion of Mtb and malaria into their respective\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\nhosts (Nat Comm. 2015; 2017). In addition,\\\\\\\\r\\\\\\\\nthey recently have shown a novel gliding complex in P. falciparum that can be targeted for new antimalarial discovery.