Gene-deletion mutants were selected after transfection with a single PlasmoGEM vector (ID unknown), indicating that PBANKA_041040 is not essential for blood stages.

In this study also evidence was found for successful gene deletion as determined by barcode PCR in a large pool of gene-deletion mutants.

No evidence was found for reduced fitness (growth rate) of blood stages

In this study P. berghei blood stages were transfected with a large pool of barcoded disruption (gene-deletion) vectors. These disruption vectors contained long modification arms to efficiently target the genes of interest.
In addition the vectors contain gene-specific molecular barcodes. Co-transfecting multiple gene-deletion vectors in the same electroporation reproducibly generates complex pools of barcoded P. berghei mutants.
In this study parasites were (mainly) transfected with a pool of vectors targeting protein kinase genes for deletion.
Unsuccessful gene disruption/deletion or successful gene disruption/deletion is determined by the absence or presence of the barcode in the population (as determined by barcode-specific PCR analysis).

To analyze growth curves derived from barcode counting two parameters were considered: (1) the relative abundance of each barcode within the pool, and (2) the relative fitness of each mutant, i.e., the rate at which its abundance changed each day (i.e. growth rate).