Cryptosporidium lifecycle revised. Read the new paper.
Read new paper in PLoS Biology that let us to suggest a significant revision of the lifecycle model for Cryptosporidium. Direct observation by time lapse microscopy shows three cycles of asexual reproduction followed by differentiation to male and female gametes from the same meront. We find no evidence for a specialized intermediate type II meront. Read the paper: English, E.D., Guerin, A, Tandel, J. and Striepen, B. (2022) Live imaging of the Cryptosporidium parvum lifecycle reveals direct development of male and female gametes from type I meronts. PLoS Biology 20: e3001604 and the Penn press release.