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Assistant Professor Benoit Malleret

Benoit Malleret

PhD

Assistant Professor

Department of Microbiology and Immunology

Affliations:

  • Immunology Translational Research Programme
  • Director, Electron Microscopy Unit (EMU)

    • Email: benoit_malleret@nus.edu.sg

    Tel: 6516 3289

    Research Interest

    Our research focuses on the molecular interactions between Plasmodium species and erythrocyte surface receptors, which are crucial for parasite invasion in vertebrate hosts. We are particularly interested in how these interactions differ between reticulocytes (immature red blood cells) and normocytes (mature red blood cells), as the expression of surface receptors changes during erythrocyte maturation. Notably, we have identified reticulocyte-specific receptors such as CD71 and CD98 as key targets for Plasmodium vivax. Our ongoing investigations aim to understand the roles of these and other receptors in different Plasmodium species. Additionally, we are exploring the characterization of host receptors involved with Babesia species, another group of erythrocytic parasites with zoonotic potential. Our lab also employs cutting-edge genomic tools to study tick-borne diseases prevalent in Singapore and Southeast Asia.

    Current Projects

  • Elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying Plasmodium species invasion of erythrocytes
  • Identification and characterization of ticks and tick-borne diseases in Singapore and Southeast Asia

    • Awards

  • Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine Young Researcher of the Year Award 2020

    • Recent Publications

    1. Chooi WH, Ng CY, Ow V, Harley J, Ng W, Hor JH, Low KE, Malleret B, Xue K, Ng SY. Defined Alginate Hydrogels Support Spinal Cord Organoid Derivation, Maturation, and Modeling of Spinal Cord Diseases. Advanced Healthcare Materials. 2022
    2. Yu S, Vassilev S, Lim ZR, Sivalingam J, Lam ATL, Ho V, Renia L, Malleret B, Reuveny S, Oh SKW. Selection of O‐negative induced pluripotent stem cell clones for high‐density red blood cell production in a scalable perfusion bioreactor system. Cell Proliferation. 2022
    3. Deng L, Wojciech L, Png CW, Koh EY, Aung TT, Kioh DYQ, Chan ECY, Malleret B, Zhang Y, Peng G, Gascoigne NRJ, Tan KSW. Experimental colonization with Blastocystis ST4 is associated with protective immune responses and modulation of gut microbiome in a DSS-induced colitis mouse model. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences. 2022
    4. Malleret B*, Sahili AE, Tay MZ, Carissimo G, Ong ASM, Novera W, Lin J, Suwanarusk R, Kosaisavee V, Chu TTT, Sinha A, Howland SH, Fan Y, Gruszczyk J, Tham WH, Colin Y, Maurer-Stroh S, Snounou G, Ng LFP, Chan JKY, Chacko AM, Lescar J, Chandramohanadas R, Nosten F, Russell B, Rénia L. Plasmodium vivax binds host CD98hc (SLC3A2) to enter immature red blood cells. Nature Microbiology. 2021 (*co-corresponding author).
    5. Hang JW, Tukijan F, Lee EQH, Abdeen SR, Aniweh Y, Malleret B. Zoonotic malaria: Non-Laverania Plasmodium biology and invasion mechanisms (2021). Pathogens, Jul 13; 10(7), 889.
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