Getting to the guts of the matter: The status and potential of ‘omics’ research of parasitic protists of the human gastrointestinal system

• Cryptospordium, Giardia and Entamoeba dominate ‘omics’ research of enteric protists.
• Blastocystis and Enterocytozoon genomes are complete.
• There is no information for Dientamoeba, Isospora, Balantidium and Cyclospora.
• There have been major recent advances in sequencing, analytical and functional methods in this field.
• There are numerous novel areas for potential research in this field in the coming years.

Parasitic protists are a major cause of diarrhoeal illnesses in humans globally. Collectively, enteric pathogens exceed all other forms of infectious disease, in terms of their estimated global prevalence and socioeconomic impact. They have a disproportionately high impact on children in impoverished communities, leading to acute (diarrhoea, vomiting, dehydration and death) and chronic disease (malabsorption, malnutrition, physical and cognitive stunting and predisposition to chronic, non-communicable disease) consequences. However, historically, investment in research and disease control measures has been disproportionately poor, leading to their current classification as neglected pathogens. A sound understanding of their biology is essential in underpinning detection, treatment and control efforts. One major tool in rapidly improving our knowledge of these parasites is the use of biological systems, including ‘omic’ technologies. In recent years, these tools have shown significant success when applied to enteric protists. This review summarises much of this knowledge and highlights the significant remaining knowledge gaps. A major focus of the present review was to provide a perspective on a way forward to address these gaps using advanced biotechnologies.

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