A5023246115- Antifungal resistance and susceptibility
- Fungal Infections and Studies
- Bacterial biofilms and quorum sensing
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Plant Pathogens and Fungal Diseases
- Fungal and yeast genetics research
- Infectious Diseases and Mycology
- Forensic Entomology and Diptera Studies
- Insect Utilization and Effects
- Fungal Biology and Applications
- Polysaccharides and Plant Cell Walls
- Oral microbiology and periodontitis research
- Insect behavior and control techniques
- Neutrophil, Myeloperoxidase and Oxidative Mechanisms
- Peptidase Inhibition and Analysis
- Mycotoxins in Agriculture and Food
- Asthma and respiratory diseases
- Animal and Plant Science Education
- Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia detection and treatment
- Carbohydrate Chemistry and Synthesis
- Probiotics and Fermented Foods
- Bacterial Identification and Susceptibility Testing
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Insect Pest Control Strategies
- Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions
McGill University Health Centre
2016-2025
McGill University
2016-2025
Institute of Infection and Immunity
2019-2025
Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis
2023
Public Health Agency of Canada
2022
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
2020
European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
2018
Bipar
2013-2015
Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics
2014
Leicester General Hospital
2012
Candida albicans is the most common cause of hematogenously disseminated and oropharyngeal candidiasis. Both these diseases are characterized by fungal invasion host cells. Previously, we have found that C. hyphae invade endothelial cells oral epithelial in vitro inducing their own endocytosis. Therefore, set out to identify surface protein cell receptors mediate this process. We Als3 required for organism be endocytosed human umbilical vein two different lines. Affinity purification...
The black soldier fly, Heretia illucens (L.), is a nonpest tropical and warm-temperate region insect that useful for managing large concentrations of animal manure other biosolids. Manure management relying on wild fly oviposition has been successful in several studies. However, confidence this robust natural system was low biological studies were hampered by the lack dependable source eggs larvae. Larvae had reared easily earlier investigators, but achieving mating problematic. We achieved...
An international expert panel was convened to deliberate the management of azole-resistant aspergillosis. In culture-positive cases, in vitro susceptibility testing should always be performed if antifungal therapy is intended. Different patterns resistance are seen, with multi-azole and pan-azole more common than a single triazole. confirmed invasive pulmonary aspergillosis due an Aspergillus, experts recommended switch from voriconazole liposomal amphotericin B (L-AmB; Ambisome(®)). regions...
Aspergillus fumigatus is the most common cause of invasive mold disease in humans. The mechanisms underlying adherence this to host cells and macromolecules have remained elusive. Using mutants with different adhesive properties comparative transcriptomics, we discovered that gene uge3, encoding a fungal epimerase, required for through mediating synthesis galactosaminogalactan. Galactosaminogalactan functions as dominant adhesin A. mediates plastic, fibronectin, epithelial cells. In...
Bacterial biofilms present a significant medical challenge because they are recalcitrant to current therapeutic regimes. A key component of biofilm formation in the opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa is biosynthesis exopolysaccharides Pel and Psl, which involved maintenance structural scaffold protection against antimicrobials host defenses. Given that glycoside hydrolases PelAh PslGh encoded pel psl biosynthetic operons, respectively, utilized for vivo exopolysaccharide...
Hermetia illucens (L.) was reared on three larval diets to determine their effects preimaginal development and selected adult life-history traits. Prepupal characteristics were examined for individuals each diet compared with field-collected prepupae corresponding emergent adults. Diet did not significantly influence or survivorship the prepupal stage. However, emergence all less than that determined wild population. Development time from egg at 27°C ranged 40 43 d stage lasting 22–24 d. We...
The human fungal pathogen Candida albicans colonizes and invades a wide range of host tissues. Adherence to constituents plays an important role in this process. Two members the C. Als protein family (Als1p Als5p) have been found mediate adherence; however, functions other are unknown. In study, ALS gene were cloned expressed Saccharomyces cerevisiae characterize their individual functions. Distinct proteins conferred distinct adherence profiles diverse substrates. Using chimeric Als5p-Als6p...
Filamentation and adherence to host cells are critical virulence factors of Candida albicans. Multiple filamentation regulatory pathways have been discovered in C. albicans using Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model. In S. cerevisiae, these converge on Flo11p, which functions downstream effector also mediates cell-cell (flocculation). albicans, such effector(s) not yet identified. Here, we demonstrate that the cell surface protein Als1p is an We show expression controlled by transcription...
Tpk1p, Tpk2p and Efg1p are members of the Ras-protein kinase A pathway that governs yeast-to-hyphal transition in Candida albicans. We used tpk1Delta/tpk1Delta, tpk2Delta/tpk2Delta efg1Delta/efg1Delta mutants to investigate role these proteins regulating interactions C. albicans with oral epithelial cell lines vitro virulence murine models oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC) haematogenously disseminated (HDC). The tpk1Delta/tpk1Delta strain adhered to, invaded damaged cells similarly wild-type...
Most information on the black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (L.), is limited to its use as a biological control and waste management agent. Little known about mating oviposition activities. Latency from emergence for colony-reared flies placed in 1.5 × 3 m nylon cage located greenhouse was determined. Sixty-nine percent of occurred 2 d after eclosion 70% 4 eclosion. Time day light intensity significantly correlated with (r2 = 0.49; P < 0.0001), while time day, temperature, humidity...
To illustrate the progressive loss of cross-echinocandin activity on Candida albicans isolates with strong clonal homology from a patient advanced HIV infection and chronic oesophagitis progressively resistant to uninterrupted micafungin treatment.Antifungal susceptibility profiles for different antifungal agents were determined against serial C. retrieved before during therapy. Multilocus sequencing typing (MLST) was performed each isolates. FKS1 mutations conferring reduced echinocandin...
Of the over 250 Aspergillus species, fumigatus accounts for up to 80% of invasive human infections. A. produces galactosaminogalactan (GAG), an exopolysaccharide composed galactose and N-acetyl-galactosamine (GalNAc) that mediates adherence is required full virulence. Less pathogenic species were found produce GAG with a lower GalNAc content than expressed minimal amounts cell wall-bound GAG. Increasing minimally nidulans, either through overexpression nidulans epimerase UgeB or by...
We demonstrate autosomal-recessive Caspase Recruitment Domain-containing protein 9 (CARD9) deficiency in a patient with relapsing C. albicans meningoencephalitis. identified novel, hypomorphic mutation intact Th17 responses, but impaired GM-CSF responses. report complete clinical remission adjunctive therapy, suggesting that CARD9/GM-CSF axis contributes to susceptibility candidiasis.
ABSTRACT Aspergillus fumigatus is a pathogenic mold which causes invasive, often fatal, pulmonary disease in immunocompromised individuals. Recently, proteins involved the biosynthesis of trehalose have been linked with virulence other fungi. We found that content increased during developmental life cycle A. , throughout putative synthase genes tpsA and tpsB were significantly expressed. The hyphae also after heat shock but not response to stressors. This increase directly correlated an...