School of Infection & Immunity

Dr Clare Harding

  • Senior Lecturer in Parasitology (Parasitology)

telephone: 0141 330 7779
email: Clare.Harding@glasgow.ac.uk

B612, Ri: Iii, Sir Graeme Davies Building, 120 University Place

Import to contacts

ORCID iDhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-8428-0374

Research interests

My work has focussed on the cell biology of the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii. During my postdoc, I investigated the molecular mechanisms of how the parasite builds and maintains its remarkable, teardrop-like shape, with a focus on the transmembrane proteins of the periphery of T. gondii.

In my new group, my research will focus on how Toxoplasma acquires and uses iron from its host cells. Iron is an essential nutrient for almost all cell types, from bacteria to the cells that make up our bodies, however it can be difficult to acquire and is toxic in the wrong place. Toxoplasma is the ultimate generalist, it requires a host cell to replicate within, it can grow within any cell type from any warm blooded animal. This means during its lifecycle, the parasite must contend with both high and low iron concentrations and be able to rapidly adapt to its environment.

To decipher the mechanisms involved, we will seek to answer three key questions:

  1. How does the parasite acquire iron from its host cell?
  2. How does iron concentration regulate the expression of genes in the parasite?
  3. Which proteins and pathways are required for the parasite to adapt to changes in the available iron concentration?

By utilising genome-wide CRISPR screens and unbiased proteomics, in combination with targeted genetic approaches, we will seek to understand the role iron plays in these parasites and more about how the parasite responds and adapts to its metabolic environment. 

 

Publications

List by: Type | Date

Jump to: 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2017 | 2016 | 2014 | 2012
Number of items: 19.

2026

Giuliano, Christopher J., Kalluraya, Chinmay A., Kloehn, Joachim, Sloan, Megan A. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7659-4069, Bunkofske, Molly E., Hunter, Christopher A., Soldati-Favre, Dominique, Harding, Clare R. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8428-0374 and Lourido, Sebastian (2026) Convergent evolution of metabolic regulation governs redox adaptation in Toxoplasma. Cell, (doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2026.07.029) (PMID:42580337) (PMCID:PMC13531851) (Early Online Publication)

Hanna, Jack C. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1302-8905, Shikha, Shikha ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7878-1463, Sloan, Megan A. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7659-4069 and Harding, Clare ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8428-0374 (2026) Global translational and metabolic remodeling during iron deprivation in Toxoplasma gondii. mBio, 17(5), e03788-25. (doi: 10.1128/mbio.03788-25) (PMID:41925342) (PMCID:PMC13170339)

Aghabi, Dana, Gallego Rubio, Cecilia, Cortijo-Martinez, Miguel, Pouzache, Augustin, Gibson, Erin, Pagura, Lucas ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1061-6311, Fairweather, Stephen J., van Dooren, Giel G. and Harding, Clare R. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8428-0374 (2026) ZFT is the major iron and zinc transporter in Toxoplasma gondii. eLife, 14, RP108666. (doi: 10.7554/eLife.108666.3) (PMCID:PMC12875612)

2025

Agboraw, E. et al. (2025) paraCell: a novel software tool for the interactive analysis and visualization of standard and dual host-parasite single cell RNA-Seq data. Nucleic Acids Research, 53(4), gkaf091. (doi: 10.1093/nar/gkaf091) (PMID:39988320) (PMCID:PMC11840555)

Sloan, Megan A. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7659-4069, Scott, Adam, Aghabi, Dana, Mrvova, Lucia and Harding, Clare R. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8428-0374 (2025) Iron-mediated post-transcriptional regulation in Toxoplasma gondii. PLoS Pathogens, 21(2), e1012857. (doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012857) (PMID:39899594) (PMCID:PMC11801735)

2024

Agboraw, E. et al. (2024) paraCell: A novel software tool for the interactive analysis and visualization of standard and dual host-parasite single cell RNA-Seq data. bioRxiv, (doi: 10.1101/2024.08.29.610375)

2023

Aghabi, Dana, Sloan, Megan ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7659-4069, Gill, Grace, Hartmann, Elena, Antipova, Olga, Dou, Zhicheng, Guerra, Alfredo J., Carruthers, Vern B. and Harding, Clare R. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8428-0374 (2023) The vacuolar iron transporter mediates iron detoxification in Toxoplasma gondii. Nature Communications, 14, 3659. (doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-39436-y) (PMID:37339985) (PMCID:PMC10281983)

2022

Quintana, Juan F. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5092-5576, Harding, Clare ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8428-0374, Huet, Diego, Sateriale, Adam and Bernabeu, Maria (2022) Editorial: disruptive technologies for the study of host-pathogen interactions. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 12, 1048342. (doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.1048342) (PMID:36310863) (PMCID:PMC9608136)

2021

Sloan, Megan A. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7659-4069, Aghabi, Dana and Harding, Clare R. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8428-0374 (2021) Orchestrating a heist: uptake and storage of metals by apicomplexan parasites. Microbiology, 167(12), 001114. (doi: 10.1099/mic.0.001114) (PMID:34898419) (PMCID:PMC7612242)

Mallo, N. et al. (2021) Depletion of a Toxoplasma porin leads to defects in mitochondrial morphology and contacts with the ER. Journal of Cell Science, 134(20), jcs255299. (doi: 10.1242/jcs.255299) (PMID:34523684) (PMCID:PMC8572010)

Harding, Clare R. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8428-0374 (2021) mSphere of influence: an army marching on its stomach-malaria parasites sense and subvert host nutrition. mSphere, 6(2), e00210-21. (doi: 10.1128/mSphere.00210-21) (PMID:33853872) (PMCID:PMC8546697)

Kloehn, Joachim, Harding, Clare R. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8428-0374 and Soldati‐Favre, Dominique (2021) Supply and demand – heme synthesis, salvage and utilization by Apicomplexa. FEBS Journal, 288(2), pp. 382-404. (doi: 10.1111/febs.15445) (PMID:32530125)

2020

Harding, Clare R. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8428-0374 and Frischnknecht, Friedrich (2020) The riveting cellular structures in Apicomplexan parasites. Trends in Parasitology, 36(12), pp. 979-991. (doi: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.09.001) (PMID:33011071)

Harding, Clare R. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8428-0374 (2020) Genetic screens reveal a central role for heme metabolism in artemisinin susceptibility. Nature Communications, 11, 4813. (doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-18624-0) (PMID:32968076) (PMCID:PMC7511413)

2019

Harding, Clare R. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8428-0374, Gow, Matthew, Kang, Joon Ho, Shortt, Emily, Manalis, Scott R., Meissner, Markus ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4816-5221 and Lourido, Sebastian (2019) Alveolar proteins stabilize cortical microtubules in Toxoplasma gondii. Nature Communications, 10, 401. (doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-08318-7) (PMID:30674885) (PMCID:PMC6344517)

2017

Periz, J. et al. (2017) Toxoplasma gondii F-actin forms an extensive filamentous network required for material exchange and parasite maturation. eLife, 6, e24119. (doi: 10.7554/eLife.24119) (PMID:28322189) (PMCID:PMC5375643)

2016

Harding, Clare R. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8428-0374, Egarter, Saskia, Gow, Matthew, Jiménez-Ruiz, Elena ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2695-0947, Ferguson, David J.P. and Meissner, Markus ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4816-5221 (2016) Gliding associated proteins play essential roles during the formation of the inner membrane complex of toxoplasma gondii. PLoS Pathogens, 12(2), e1005403. (doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005403) (PMID:26845335) (PMCID:PMC4742064)

2014

Harding, Clare R. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8428-0374 and Meissner, Markus ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4816-5221 (2014) The inner membrane complex through development of Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium. Cellular Microbiology, 16(5), pp. 632-641. (doi: 10.1111/cmi.12285)

2012

Ali, Hayder Z., Harding, Clare R. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8428-0374 and Denny, Paul W. (2012) Endocytosis and sphingolipid scavenging in Leishmania mexicana amastigotes. Biochemistry Research International, 2012, 691363. (doi: 10.1155/2012/691363) (PMID:21941657) (PMCID:PMC3177366)

This list was generated on Fri Sep 18 18:52:37 2026 BST.
Jump to: Articles
Number of items: 19.

Articles

Giuliano, Christopher J., Kalluraya, Chinmay A., Kloehn, Joachim, Sloan, Megan A. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7659-4069, Bunkofske, Molly E., Hunter, Christopher A., Soldati-Favre, Dominique, Harding, Clare R. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8428-0374 and Lourido, Sebastian (2026) Convergent evolution of metabolic regulation governs redox adaptation in Toxoplasma. Cell, (doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2026.07.029) (PMID:42580337) (PMCID:PMC13531851) (Early Online Publication)

Hanna, Jack C. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1302-8905, Shikha, Shikha ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7878-1463, Sloan, Megan A. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7659-4069 and Harding, Clare ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8428-0374 (2026) Global translational and metabolic remodeling during iron deprivation in Toxoplasma gondii. mBio, 17(5), e03788-25. (doi: 10.1128/mbio.03788-25) (PMID:41925342) (PMCID:PMC13170339)

Aghabi, Dana, Gallego Rubio, Cecilia, Cortijo-Martinez, Miguel, Pouzache, Augustin, Gibson, Erin, Pagura, Lucas ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1061-6311, Fairweather, Stephen J., van Dooren, Giel G. and Harding, Clare R. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8428-0374 (2026) ZFT is the major iron and zinc transporter in Toxoplasma gondii. eLife, 14, RP108666. (doi: 10.7554/eLife.108666.3) (PMCID:PMC12875612)

Agboraw, E. et al. (2025) paraCell: a novel software tool for the interactive analysis and visualization of standard and dual host-parasite single cell RNA-Seq data. Nucleic Acids Research, 53(4), gkaf091. (doi: 10.1093/nar/gkaf091) (PMID:39988320) (PMCID:PMC11840555)

Sloan, Megan A. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7659-4069, Scott, Adam, Aghabi, Dana, Mrvova, Lucia and Harding, Clare R. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8428-0374 (2025) Iron-mediated post-transcriptional regulation in Toxoplasma gondii. PLoS Pathogens, 21(2), e1012857. (doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012857) (PMID:39899594) (PMCID:PMC11801735)

Agboraw, E. et al. (2024) paraCell: A novel software tool for the interactive analysis and visualization of standard and dual host-parasite single cell RNA-Seq data. bioRxiv, (doi: 10.1101/2024.08.29.610375)

Aghabi, Dana, Sloan, Megan ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7659-4069, Gill, Grace, Hartmann, Elena, Antipova, Olga, Dou, Zhicheng, Guerra, Alfredo J., Carruthers, Vern B. and Harding, Clare R. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8428-0374 (2023) The vacuolar iron transporter mediates iron detoxification in Toxoplasma gondii. Nature Communications, 14, 3659. (doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-39436-y) (PMID:37339985) (PMCID:PMC10281983)

Quintana, Juan F. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5092-5576, Harding, Clare ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8428-0374, Huet, Diego, Sateriale, Adam and Bernabeu, Maria (2022) Editorial: disruptive technologies for the study of host-pathogen interactions. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 12, 1048342. (doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.1048342) (PMID:36310863) (PMCID:PMC9608136)

Sloan, Megan A. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7659-4069, Aghabi, Dana and Harding, Clare R. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8428-0374 (2021) Orchestrating a heist: uptake and storage of metals by apicomplexan parasites. Microbiology, 167(12), 001114. (doi: 10.1099/mic.0.001114) (PMID:34898419) (PMCID:PMC7612242)

Mallo, N. et al. (2021) Depletion of a Toxoplasma porin leads to defects in mitochondrial morphology and contacts with the ER. Journal of Cell Science, 134(20), jcs255299. (doi: 10.1242/jcs.255299) (PMID:34523684) (PMCID:PMC8572010)

Harding, Clare R. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8428-0374 (2021) mSphere of influence: an army marching on its stomach-malaria parasites sense and subvert host nutrition. mSphere, 6(2), e00210-21. (doi: 10.1128/mSphere.00210-21) (PMID:33853872) (PMCID:PMC8546697)

Kloehn, Joachim, Harding, Clare R. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8428-0374 and Soldati‐Favre, Dominique (2021) Supply and demand – heme synthesis, salvage and utilization by Apicomplexa. FEBS Journal, 288(2), pp. 382-404. (doi: 10.1111/febs.15445) (PMID:32530125)

Harding, Clare R. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8428-0374 and Frischnknecht, Friedrich (2020) The riveting cellular structures in Apicomplexan parasites. Trends in Parasitology, 36(12), pp. 979-991. (doi: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.09.001) (PMID:33011071)

Harding, Clare R. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8428-0374 (2020) Genetic screens reveal a central role for heme metabolism in artemisinin susceptibility. Nature Communications, 11, 4813. (doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-18624-0) (PMID:32968076) (PMCID:PMC7511413)

Harding, Clare R. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8428-0374, Gow, Matthew, Kang, Joon Ho, Shortt, Emily, Manalis, Scott R., Meissner, Markus ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4816-5221 and Lourido, Sebastian (2019) Alveolar proteins stabilize cortical microtubules in Toxoplasma gondii. Nature Communications, 10, 401. (doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-08318-7) (PMID:30674885) (PMCID:PMC6344517)

Periz, J. et al. (2017) Toxoplasma gondii F-actin forms an extensive filamentous network required for material exchange and parasite maturation. eLife, 6, e24119. (doi: 10.7554/eLife.24119) (PMID:28322189) (PMCID:PMC5375643)

Harding, Clare R. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8428-0374, Egarter, Saskia, Gow, Matthew, Jiménez-Ruiz, Elena ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2695-0947, Ferguson, David J.P. and Meissner, Markus ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4816-5221 (2016) Gliding associated proteins play essential roles during the formation of the inner membrane complex of toxoplasma gondii. PLoS Pathogens, 12(2), e1005403. (doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005403) (PMID:26845335) (PMCID:PMC4742064)

Harding, Clare R. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8428-0374 and Meissner, Markus ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4816-5221 (2014) The inner membrane complex through development of Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium. Cellular Microbiology, 16(5), pp. 632-641. (doi: 10.1111/cmi.12285)

Ali, Hayder Z., Harding, Clare R. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8428-0374 and Denny, Paul W. (2012) Endocytosis and sphingolipid scavenging in Leishmania mexicana amastigotes. Biochemistry Research International, 2012, 691363. (doi: 10.1155/2012/691363) (PMID:21941657) (PMCID:PMC3177366)

This list was generated on Fri Sep 18 18:52:37 2026 BST.

Grants

Grants and Awards listed are those received whilst working with the University of Glasgow.

  • Parasites in stress: How Toxoplasma gondii responds to iron deprivation
    Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
    2025 - 2028
     
  • Down to brass tacks: The role of copper in metabolic flexibility of Toxoplasma gondii
    The Royal Society of Edinburgh
    2025 - 2026
     
  • Understanding metabolic adaptation to low iron in Toxoplasma Gondii
    The Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland
    2024 - 2025
     
  • Systemic analysis of transporters in T. gondii
    Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
    2023 - 2025
     
  • Iron-conjugated compounds as anti-parasitics
    Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
    2022 - 2023
     
  • Investigating the mode of inhibitory action of organometallic complexes on apicomplexan parasites
    The Royal Society
    2021 - 2022
     
  • Exploring iron storage in Toxoplasma gondii.
    The Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland
    2021 - 2022
     
  • Iron usage in the eukaryotic parasite Toxoplasma gondii
    Wellcome Trust
    2019 - 2024
     
  • Developing insights into Toxoplasma gondii pathogenesis through analysis of both parasite and host cell proteins required for the parasite's lifecycle
    Wellcome Trust
    2014 - 2018
     

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