
A freshwater snail, Biomphalaria glabrata, shedding cercariae (the free-swimming larvae stage of the parasite)
Supporting schistosomiasis research
Schistosome snail resource (SSR) is Wellcome Trust funded, open access biomedical resource that aims to generate and make freely available live schistosome life-cycle stages, snail intermediate hosts and related material for schistosomiasis research.
SSR is a collaboration between the Natural History Museum and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Schistosomiasis
Schistosomiasis is a chronic and debilitating tropical parasitic disease caused by schistosomes (Schistosoma spp.), transmitted by freshwater snails.
It is a Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) of both humans and animals, with considerable health and economic impacts.
Endemicity is associated with low/middle-income countries with considerable disease burden within impoverished communities despite widespread control efforts.
While substantial advances have been made in the control of schistosomiasis, the diversity and complexity of Schistosoma species and their specific fresh-water snail hosts warrants fundamental research requiring lifecycles, live material and diverse collections.
Why do we need a schistosomiasis biomedical resource?
- Complex life cycle that requires time consuming maintenance and a diverse combination of culture facilities.
- High costs make centralisation of resources an attractive option.
- Only few strains are widely available in cultures. This lack of natural genetic heterogeneity leads to potential bias in research.
Without the availability of diverse Schistosoma lifecycles/live material, future research faces substantial obstacles.

Bulinus truncatus, image by Adam Cieplinski

Project summary
June 2021 to June 2026
A UK biomedical resource providing live schistosome life-cycle stages and their intermediate snail hosts to advance schistosomiasis research worldwide.
Funding: Wellcome Trust
What do we provide?
- 'Standard/SSR model' Schistosoma and snail species.
- Non-standard African species/strains of schistosome and snails.
Project team
Museum staff
- Dr Bonnie Webster
- Dr Aidan Emery
- Dr Adam Cieplinski
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine staff
- Dr Amaya Bustinduy
- Dr Vanessa Yardley
- Dr Fernanda Sales-Coelho
Our webpage at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine