The question of Plasmodium falciparum population structure

Understanding how genetic variation in malaria parasites is structured across populations has benefits for researchers interested in finding loci that affect the ability of the parasite to resist host immunity or drugs. In a recent paper, Tim Anderson and colleagues have provided a broad-scale analysis of Plasmodium falciparum population structure. Their results provide an indication of the feasibility of using population-genetic and genetic-mapping approaches to pinpoint selected loci, in addition to reconciling some previously disparate views of population structure in malaria.