Research on Plasmodium parasites has driven breakthroughs in reducing malaria morbidity and mortality. Experimental analysis of in vivo/ex vivo versus in vitro samples serve unique roles in Plasmodium research. However, these distinctly different environments lead to discordant biology between parasites in host circulation and those under laboratory cultivation. Here, we review how in vitro factors, such as nutrient levels and physical forces, differ from those in the human host and the resulting implications for parasite growth, survival, and virulence. Additionally, we discuss the current utility of direct-from-host methodologies, which avoid the potentially confounding effects of in vitro cultivation. Finally, we make the case for methodological improvements that will drive research progress of physiologically relevant phenotypes.

疟原虫寄生虫的研究已在减少疟疾发病率和死亡率方面取得了突破。体内/离体与体外样品的实验分析在疟原虫研究中发挥了独特的作用。但是，这些截然不同的环境导致宿主循环中的寄生虫与实验室培养的寄生虫之间生物学差异。在这里，我们回顾一下体外营养水平和体力等因素与人类宿主不同，因此对寄生虫的生长，存活和毒力也有影响。此外，我们讨论了“直接从宿主”方法的当前效用，它避免了体外培养的潜在混淆作用。最后，我们提出了方法学上的改进，这些改进将推动生理相关表型的研究进展。