Malaria is a global epidemic that affects over 219 million people annually. My project focuses on the characterization  PY17X_0719100, a gene we believe plays a crucial role in the transmission stages of the parasite that causes malaria, Plasmodium. My aim is to use reverse genetic approaches to both tag and knockout this gene. This will allow me to characterize its expression throughout the life cycle, as well as any phenotypes associated with its removal.