About the Authors

Gustavo M. Cerqueira

Contributed equally to this work with: Gustavo M. Cerqueira, Alan J. A. McBride

cerqueiragm@yahoo.com.br

Affiliation Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil

Alan J. A. McBride

Contributed equally to this work with: Gustavo M. Cerqueira, Alan J. A. McBride

Affiliation Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Salvador, Brazil

Rudy A. Hartskeerl

Affiliation Department of Biomedical Research, Royal Tropical Institute, World Health Organization/Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations/World Organisation for Animal Health (WHO/FAO/OIE) and National Leptospirosis Reference Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Niyaz Ahmed

Affiliation Pathogen Biology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India

Odir A. Dellagostin

Affiliation Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil

Marcus R. Eslabão

Affiliation Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil

Ana L. T. O. Nascimento

Affiliations Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil, Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, USP, São Paulo, Brazil

Competing Interests

Niyaz Ahmed and Rudy Hartskeerl are members of the PLoS ONE Editorial Board. Niyaz Ahmed is a member of the PLoS International Advisory Group.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: GMC AJAM. Performed the experiments: GMC AJAM MRE. Analyzed the data: GMC AJAM. Wrote the manuscript: GMC AJAM RAH NA OAD MRE ALTON.