Dr Marina Papaiakovou (University of Cambridge)

  • Location: Room 222, BHF Building

Title: Genomic Insights from Poo: STH Diversity and Diagnostic Implications via Genome Skimming and Hybrid Capture

Synopsis: Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) are a significant global health issue that exacerbates poverty and disease. Traditional diagnosis relies on labour-intensive microscopic examination of faecal samples with limited sensitivity. Molecular methods such as qPCR offer greater sensitivity, particularly in low-prevalence areas, but are based on a narrow range of parasite isolates. Due to STHs' genetic diversity, diagnostic accuracy may be affected. Exploring their genetic diversity could revolutionise the understanding of STH biology and epidemiology. Population genetics studies are limited, partly due to the difficulty of obtaining adult worms. My work uses low-depth shotgun metagenomic sequencing ("genome skimming") and targeted hybridisation enrichment on faecal samples to analyse helminth diversity. Although less sensitive than qPCR, genome skimming recovers complete mitochondrial genomes (mtDNA) and reveals significant genetic variation that impacts diagnostics. Given the low abundance of parasites in faeces and the abundance of non-target DNA, targeted hybridisation enrichment can efficiently recover helminth mtDNA from faecal samples and capture genetic diversity. These advances improve understanding of STH genetics in the absence of adult worms, supporting genomic epidemiology and sustainable control of STHs as a public health problem. 

Bio: Originally from Greece, Marina studied Molecular Biology and Genetics (BSc) at the Democritus University of Thrace, and was trained in Molecular Diagnostics for helminth diseases as part of her MSc at Smith College, USA. After her Master’s, she worked as a Research Assistant in both the US and the UK at the Natural History Museum and Imperial College London, where she supported multiple international public-health and parasitology projects by setting up and running qPCR diagnostic laboratories, developing training materials, and providing technical expertise for fieldwork, sample processing, and quality control. She has just completed her PhD in the Department of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Cambridge, where she focused on developing and applying genomic tools to unravel helminth genetic diversity, study helminth populations and support diagnostic validation.

First published: 11 December 2025

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