Proteins on the surface of parasite-infected erythrocytes (PIESPs) have been one 
of the major focuses of malaria research due to their role in pathogenesis and 
their potential as targets for immunity and drug intervention. Despite intense 
scrutiny, only a few surface proteins have been identified and characterized. We 
report the identification of two novel surface proteins from Plasmodium 
falciparum-infected erythrocytes. Surface proteins were fractionated through 
biotin-streptavidin interaction and analyzed by shotgun proteomics. From a list 
of 36 candidates, two were selected for further characterization. The surface 
location of both proteins was confirmed by confocal microscopy using specific 
antibodies. PIESP1 and PIESP2 are unlikely to be associated with knobs, the 
protrusions on the parasite-infected erythrocyte (PIE) surface. In contrast to 
other known PIESPs, such as PfEMP1 and Rifin, these novel proteins are encoded 
by single copy genes, highly conserved across Plasmodium ssp., making them good 
targets for interventions with a broad specificity to various P. falciparum 
isolates.