In this episode, we track how Strongyloides stercoralis — a human-infective nematode — uses carbon dioxide sensing to navigate both outside and inside its host. This tiny parasite shifts its response to CO₂ depending on life stage: repelled when searching for a host, but attracted once inside.
We explore:
Life-stage-specific behaviour: iL3s flee CO₂, iL3as chase it
How Ss-BAG neurons detect CO₂ via the Ss-GCY-9 receptor
CRISPR-generated mutants that lose their ability to sense CO₂
A new method for creating stable knockout lines in S. stercoralis
How CO₂ helps worms navigate through the bloodstream, lungs, and gut during infection
📖 Based on the research article:
“Carbon dioxide shapes parasite-host interactions in a human-infective nematode”
Banerjee et al., 2025, Current Biology
🔗 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2024.11.036
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