Scientists have made a major breakthrough in understanding how the parasite that causes malaria is able to multiply at such an alarming rate, which could be a vital clue in discovering how it has evolved and how it can be stopped. 

For the first time, scientists have shown how certain molecules play an essential role in the rapid reproduction of parasite cells and cause this deadly disease. If experts can prevent the malaria parasite from reproducing, it could help eradicate one of the world’s biggest killer infections.

The research, co-led by Karine Le Roch of the University of California, Riverside, and Rita Tewari of the University of Nottingham, appears in Cell Reports.