Alternatively, the sporozoite, known to traverse several hepatocytes before final invasion (Mota et al., 2001, Risco-Castillo et al., 2015), may establish infection in a cell with pre-existing low AMPK activity. Whether malaria sporozoites select to home in a cell with suppressed AMPK or modulate host AMPK activity via secretion/transportation of parasite-derived effector molecules remains to be determined. The gene discussed is PRKAA1; the disease is malaria.