A5005992574- Oral microbiology and periodontitis research
- Antifungal resistance and susceptibility
- Gut microbiota and health
- Neutrophil, Myeloperoxidase and Oxidative Mechanisms
- Vector-borne infectious diseases
- Bacterial Infections and Vaccines
- Probiotics and Fermented Foods
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Aquaculture disease management and microbiota
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Vector-Borne Animal Diseases
- Bacterial biofilms and quorum sensing
- Asthma and respiratory diseases
- Invertebrate Immune Response Mechanisms
- Streptococcal Infections and Treatments
- Peptidase Inhibition and Analysis
- Psoriasis: Treatment and Pathogenesis
- Fungal Infections and Studies
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Ocular Infections and Treatments
- Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
University of Connecticut
2021-2023
UConn Health
2021-2022
Bates College
2013-2020
University of Maine
2017-2019
Candida albicans is a fungal pathobiont, able to cause epithelial cell damage and immune activation. These functions have been attributed its secreted toxin, candidalysin, though the molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we identify epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) as critical component of candidalysin-triggered responses. We find that both C. candidalysin activate human EGFR receptors candidalysin-deficient mutants induce phosphorylation during murine oropharyngeal...
Polymicrobial infections often include both fungi and bacteria can complicate patient treatment resolution of infection. Cross-kingdom interactions among bacteria, fungi, and/or the immune system during infection enhance or block virulence mechanisms influence disease progression. The fungus Candida albicans bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa are coisolated in context polymicrobial at a variety sites throughout body, including mucosal tissues such as lung. In vitro, C. P. have bidirectional...
By comparing Candida albicans virulence and the mucosal bacterial composition in a mouse oral infection model, we were able to dissect effects of host environment (immunosuppression), with C. , local modulating factors (availability sucrose as carbon source) on microbiome its role fungal virulence. We showed that changes endogenous microbial communities response can lead attenuation disease.
In modern medicine, physicians are frequently forced to balance immune suppression against stimulation treat patients such as those undergoing transplants and chemotherapy. More-targeted therapies designed preserve immunity prevent opportunistic fungal infection in these could be informed by an understanding of how fungi interact with professional nonprofessional cells mucosal candidiasis. this study, we intravitally imaged host-pathogen dynamics during Candida a transparent vertebrate model...
Candida is a leading cause of late-onset sepsis in premature infants and thought to invade the host via immature or damaged epithelial barriers. We previously showed that hyphal form albicans invades causes damage intestinal cells (pIECs), whereas non-hyphal parapsilosis, also fungal pathogen neonates, has less invasion abilities. In this study, we investigated potential for C. parapsilosis modulate pathogenic interactions with intestine. While mixed infection two pathogens may be expected...
ABSTRACT The importance of gene regulation in the enzootic cycle Borrelia burgdorferi , spirochete that causes Lyme disease, is well established. B. regulates expression response to changes environmental stimuli associated with changing hosts. In this study, we monitored mRNA decay following transcriptional arrest actinomycin D. time-dependent transcripts encoding RNA polymerase subunits ( rpoA and rpoS ), ribosomal proteins rpsD rpsK rpsM rplQ rpsO a nuclease pnp outer surface lipoproteins...
We previously discovered a role of the oral commensal Streptococcus oralis as an accessory pathogen. S. increases virulence Candida albicans infections in murine candidiasis and epithelial cell models through mechanisms which promote formation tissue-damaging biofilms. Lactobacillus species have known inhibitory effects on biofilm many microbes, including species. Agent-based modeling has great advantages means exploring multifaceted relationships between organisms complex environments such
As common commensals residing on mucosal tissues, Lactobacillus species are known to promote health, while some Streptococcus act enhance the pathogenicity of other organisms in those environments. In this study, we used a combination vitro imaging live biofilms and computational modeling explore biofilm interactions between oralis, an accessory pathogen oral candidiasis, paracasei, organism with probiotic properties. A agent-based model was created where two interact only by competing for...
ABSTRACT As common commensals residing on mucosal tissues, Lactobacillus species are known to encourage health, while recent findings highlight the pathogenic roles of Streptococcus in these environments. In this study we used a combination vivo imaging experiments and computational modeling explore biofilm interactions between oralis , an accessory pathogen oral Candidiasis, paracasei organism with probiotic properties. A agent-based model was created where two only interact by competing...