Imaging of Live Malaria Blood Stage Parasites

Life cell imaging is a tool for cell biology that has provided invaluable insights into many dynamic processes such as cell division, morphogenesis, or endo- and exocytosis. While observing cells by time-lapse imaging is a standard procedure in many systems, this technique was until recently not available for blood stages of Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agent of the most severe form of human malaria. Here, we provide a detailed description of the procedure for time-lapse-based four-dimensional microscopy in blood stages of this important pathogen. With the widespread use of P. falciparum transfection to fluorescently tag proteins of interest, this technique provides a new tool to study the biology of malaria blood stages that is hoped to lead to a better appreciation of the dynamic processes in this life cycle phase.