A5073546222- Fungal Infections and Studies
- SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
- Plant Pathogens and Fungal Diseases
- COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies
- Antifungal resistance and susceptibility
- Phytoplasmas and Hemiptera pathogens
- Advanced Chemical Sensor Technologies
- Antimicrobial Peptides and Activities
- Animal Virus Infections Studies
- Viral gastroenteritis research and epidemiology
- vaccines and immunoinformatics approaches
- Metabolomics and Mass Spectrometry Studies
- COVID-19 and healthcare impacts
- Biomedical Text Mining and Ontologies
- Essential Oils and Antimicrobial Activity
- Open Source Software Innovations
- Mosquito-borne diseases and control
- Advanced Biosensing Techniques and Applications
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions
- Monoclonal and Polyclonal Antibodies Research
- RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms
- Phytochemical compounds biological activities
- Cocoa and Sweet Potato Agronomy
- Social Representations and Identity
Northern Arizona University
2018-2024
Translational Genomics Research Institute
2018-2024
Imperial Consultants
2016-2018
A comprehensive analysis and characterization of a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection model that mimics non-severe disease 2019 (COVID-19) in humans is warranted for understating the virus developing preventive therapeutic agents. Here, we characterized K18-hACE2 mouse expressing human (h)ACE2 mice, controlled by keratin 18 (K18) promoter, epithelia, including airway epithelial cells where SARS-CoV-2 infections typically start. We found intranasal...
Abstract Current methods for detecting infections either require a sample collected from an actively infected site, are limited in the number of agents they can query, and/or yield no information on immune response. Here we present approach that uses temporally coordinated changes highly-multiplexed antibody measurements longitudinal blood samples to monitor infection events at sub-species resolution across human virome. In longitudinally-sampled cohort South African adolescents representing...
Coccidioides immitis and C. posadasii are closely related fungal pathogens that cause coccidioidomycosis, a respiratory disease also known as Valley fever. In general, regarded to grow in arid semi-arid soils North South America. If person inhales these spores, they can become sick with The soil properties conducive for the presence of not currently well defined, including whether there differences each species. Recent efforts, especially over last decade, collect samples positive now...
Sarocladium is a diverse fungal genus with implications in both plant and human diseases, exhibiting roles pathogenicity, endophytism, biocontrol. This study characterizes two spinificis strains, CA16 (CBS 144516) CA18 144517), isolated from patients initially suspected of having coccidioidomycosis. Morphological, phylogenetic, genomic analyses confirmed their classification within the genus, closely related to S. spinificis. Both strains exhibited growth at 24C 37C, distinct morphological...
Coccidioides immitis and C. posadasii are soil dwelling dimorphic fungi found in North South America. Inhalation of aerosolized asexual conidia can result asymptomatic, acute, or chronic respiratory infection. In the U.S. there approximately 350,000 new infections per year. The genus is only known fungal pathogen to make specialized parasitic spherules, which contain endospores that released into host upon spherule rupture. molecular determinants involved this key step infection remain...
Coccidioidomycosis, or Valley fever, is caused by two species of dimorphic fungi. Based on molecular phylogenetic evidence, the genus
Abstract Coccidioidomycosis (“Valley fever”) is caused by Coccidioides immitis and C. posadasii . These fungi are thermally dimorphic, cycling between mycelia arthroconidia in the environment converting into spherules endospores within a host. can cause broad spectrum of disease that be difficult to treat. There has been steady increase disease, with an estimated 350,000 new infections per year United States. With difficulty treatment, there unmet need research basic biology identify...
Abstract Coccidioidomycosis is a common fungal disease that endemic to arid and semi-arid regions of both American continents. Coccidioides immitis posadasii are the etiological agents disease, also known as Valley Fever. For several decades, C. strain Silveira has been used widely in vaccine studies, source for production diagnostic antigens, experimental functional studies. In 2009, genome was sequenced using Sanger sequencing technology, draft assembly annotation were made available. this...
The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered the first widespread vaccination campaign against a coronavirus. Many vaccinated subjects are previously naive to SARS-CoV-2; however, almost all have encountered other coronaviruses (CoVs), and role of this immunity in shaping vaccine response remains uncharacterized. Here, we use longitudinal samples highly multiplexed serology identify mRNA-1273 vaccine-induced antibody responses range CoV Spike epitopes, both phylogenetically conserved non-conserved...
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) lineages of the Omicron variant rapidly became dominant in early 2022 and frequently cause human infections despite vaccination or prior infection with other variants. In addition to antibody-evading mutations receptor-binding domain, features amino acid elsewhere Spike protein; however, their effects generally remain ill defined. The D796Y substitution is present all sub-variants occurs at same site as a mutation (D796H) selected...
The disease San Joaquin Valley Fever (coccidioidomycosis) is caused by the inhalation of Coccidioides arthroconidia. In vivo, arthroconidia transform into pathogenic structures termed spherules. Exposure to host milieu triggers spherule development; however, molecular mechanisms responsible for morphological shift are not well characterized. This study compared morphogenesis five strains both species in two media types improve vitro model dimorphism that can be easily reproduced, and...
Coccidioides immitis and posadasii are soil-dwelling fungi of arid regions in North South America that responsible for Valley fever (coccidioidomycosis). Forty percent patients with exhibit symptoms ranging from mild, self-limiting respiratory infections to severe, life-threatening pneumonia requires treatment. Misdiagnosis as bacterial commonly occurs symptomatic cases, resulting inappropriate treatment antibiotics, increased medical costs, delay diagnosis. In this proof-of-concept study,...
Abstract Serine proteases (SP), including furin, trypsin, and TMPRSS2 cleave the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein, enabling virus to enter cells. Here, we show that factor (F) Xa, an SP involved in blood coagulation, is upregulated COVID-19 patients. In contrast other SPs, FXa exerts antiviral activity. Mechanistically, cleaves S preventing its binding ACE2, thus blocking viral entry infection. However, less effective against variants carrying D614G mutation common all pandemic variants. The...
Abstract A comprehensive analysis and characterization of a SARS-CoV-2 infection model that mimics non-severe severe COVID-19 in humans is warranted for understating the virus developing preventive therapeutic agents. Here, we characterized K18-hACE2 mouse expressing human (h)ACE2 mice, controlled by keratin 18 (K18) promoter, epithelia, including airway epithelial cells where infections typically start. We found intranasal inoculation with higher viral doses (2×10 3 2×10 4 PFU) caused...
The difficulty involved in obtaining sufficient intact genomic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from Coccidioides spp for downstream applications using published protocols prompted the exploration of inactivating mycelia and arthroconidia heat under biosafety level 3 containment. This was followed by optimizing DNA extraction various methods at lower containment.Various exposure times temperatures were examined to identify an effective inactivation procedure both C immitis posadasii. Heat 2...
Susceptibility to and infection with SARS-CoV-2 in companion animals has been well-documented throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Surveillance for virus dogs largely focused on household pets; however, other canine populations may also be impacted. We partnered a local veterinary hospital high working dog patient volume conduct viral neutralizing antibody testing identify potential risk factors dog's work home environments. of law enforcement security Arizona found 24.81% (32/129)...
Valley fever (coccidioidomycosis) is an endemic fungal pneumonia of the North and South American deserts. The causative agents are dimorphic fungi Coccidioides immitis C. posadasii, which grow as mycelia in environment spherules within lungs vulnerable hosts. Current diagnostics for severely lacking due to poor sensitivity invasiveness, contributing a 23-day median time diagnosis, therefore, new diagnostic tools needed. We working toward development breath-based coccidioidomycosis, this...
Abstract Coccidioidomycosis, or Valley fever, is caused by two species of dimorphic fungi. Based on molecular phylogenetic evidence, the genus Coccidioides contains reciprocally monophyletic species: C. immitis and posadasii. However, phenotypic variation between has not been deeply investigated. We therefore explored differences in growth rate under various conditions. A collection 39 posadasii 46 isolates, representing full geographical range species, were screened for mycelial at 37°C...
Our work is the first description of Valley fever disease triangle in Northern Arizona, which addresses host, pathogen, and environmental source region. data suggest that prevalence diagnosed cases rose 2019 this region, some severe necessitate hospitalization.
ABSTRACT There is significant interest in identifying improved treatments for coccidioidomycosis, an endemic fungal infection found the southwestern United States, and Central South America. The current standard of care, fluconazole, often fails to completely eradicate Coccidioides infection; however, cost new compounds high terms both finances time. Therefore, repurposing existing pharmaceutical agents attractive option. In our previous work, we identified several which inhibited growth...