Lucia Mrvova
Lucia graduated from Glasgow University in 2024 with a first-class honour’s degree in Microbiology. During her undergraduate studies, Lucia spent a year in Lucy Glover’s lab at the Institut Pasteur as part of the Pasteur-UK integrated master’s programme.
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She will be re-joining Institut Pasteur in September 2025 to undertake a PhD.
PhD Project: Understanding How a Deadly Parasite Outsmarts the Immune System
Lucia Mrvova’s research focuses on Trypanosoma brucei, the microscopic parasite responsible for sleeping sickness in humans and a similar disease in cattle. These parasites are expert survivors. Once inside the body—via the bite of a tsetse fly—they constantly change their outer surface, tricking the immune system and making it difficult to detect and eliminate them. This shape-shifting ability is called antigenic variation.
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The parasite’s surface is covered in a protein “coat” called VSG (variant surface glycoprotein), and T. brucei has a huge library of nearly 2,000 VSG genes it can switch between. But how exactly does it choose and switch between these coats without damaging itself?
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Lucia’s project, based at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, is trying to understand the role of telomeres—protective caps on the ends of chromosomes—and an enzyme called telomerase in this process. She’s studying how these elements influence the parasite’s ability to switch its surface proteins safely and effectively. By removing telomerase and observing the results, she hopes to uncover whether this enzyme is essential to the parasite’s survival strategy.
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This research could reveal crucial vulnerabilities in the parasite’s defences, potentially opening new doors for treatment. It also helps us better understand how genetic changes help pathogens evolve and resist immune attacks—a subject of growing importance as infectious diseases spread to new areas due to climate change.
Profile: Lucia Mrvova Pasteur-UK integrated masters student
Let’s start with a bit of background on you and your journey to the Pasteur- Glasgow integrated master’s programme…
LM: Of course, my undergraduate studies in Glasgow started in September 2019. During my penultimate year, I had the opportunity to embark on a nine-month-long work placement, allowing me to get a master’s in science (MSci) diploma. I decided to pursue my placement at the Institut Pasteur which I knew thanks to its international reputation and long-standing history in microbiological research. I was lucky to have had the chance to speak to other MSci students from the University of Glasgow who had completed their placements at the Institut Pasteur and recommended it for the intellectually stimulating environment and the ability to work alongside world-renowned scientists.
It's great to hear the Institut Pasteur has such a reputation on the Glasgow Campus! What about your own experience in Paris and specifically your research project?
I started my placement in September 2022 in the laboratory of Dr. Lucy Glover who provided me with a great opportunity to learn a lot of theoretical and practical skills along with experiencing the Institut Pasteur’s culture. Lucy’s research group studies the DNA repair and antigenic variation mechanisms in Trypanosoma brucei parasite, which allows it to evade the immune system in infected animals. T. brucei causes both human and animal disease in sub-Saharan Africa, severely impacting the communities living there. Therefore, it is important to continue studying its ability to continuously replicate within the host as it may inform new strategies for prevention, diagnostics and treatment. My project focused on investigating the effect of telomeres (regions at the ends of chromosomes with protective function) on antigenic variation in T. brucei.
It sounds a really worthwhile project. It would also be great to know how you found the experience in terms of your own personal and professional development?
In the beginning, the learning curve was quite steep as I was trying to understand multiple complex concepts while getting used to a new environment and a full-time work schedule. These initial challenges were manageable thanks to Lucy’s patient approach and thorough explanations but also thanks to a fantastic team of scientists who were always supportive and ready to answer all my questions and share their laboratory tips and tricks. My experience at the Institut Pasteur significantly contributed to my professional growth by exposing me to a wide range of laboratory techniques which I had not tried before, many of which I later applied during my honours project at the University of Glasgow. In addition, this year made me more confident in presenting my results and communicating effectively with my colleagues. All these skills proved invaluable during my final year at university, enabling me to excel academically and grasp complex concepts with greater ease. Moreover, meeting and exchanging ideas with many interesting and like-minded people from both my laboratory group and other research teams was very inspiring.
I’m glad to hear you had such a positive experience. What were your main takeaways?
Overall, my time at the Institut Pasteur strengthened my passion for microbiological research and made me realise how much I enjoy being in a research laboratory environment. It provided me with hands-on experience and useful insights into the research process and prepared me for a future career in science. This experience played a crucial role in my academic success and personal development, and I am confident that the lessons I learned will continue to benefit me throughout my career.