Malaria: Natural Selection and New Medicine

Synopsis

The malaria parasite and its human hosts are locked in an evolutionary arms race. The parasite kills more than a million people every year. Humans fight back with gradual genetic adaptation and better drugs. The parasite then adapts to evolve drug resistance. Watch as immunologist Dyann Wirth and her team at the Harvard School of Public Health study the evolutionary adaptations of Senegalese people and their malaria parasites in the field and in the lab. The scientists are seeking signs of natural selection at a molecular level to help fight malaria in a smarter way.

Classroom Activity

In Malaria: Natural Selection and New Medicine, scientists are using evolutionary biology to fight malaria.

This feature can be used to illustrate the process of science. It shows scientists collecting evidence of drug resistance in people and parasites, in order to more effectively fight the disease. (Read more about The Scientific Process.)

This Classroom Discussion Activity can be used to connect your students to the process of science, highlight overarching scientific themes, and enhance comprehension of the story.