Fungal Biology and Pathogenicity

Our manuscript describing the genome sequences of 182 Candida albicans isolates and evidencing recombination events is now published in Nature Communications (May 2018). see https://rdcu.be/UEOT. The Fungal Biology and Pathogenicity Unit is awarded funding from The European Commission (May 2018). The FunHoMic Marie Sklodowska-Curie Initial Training Network, coordinated by Christophe d’Enfert, will define and exploit the Fungal-Host-Microbiota interplay to identify novel biomarkers (fungal or host genetic polymorphisms, microbiota profiles, metabolites or immune markers) for the stratification of a patient’s risk of serious fungal infection. This will pave the way for precision medicine in patient management through preventive or therapeutic interventions using antifungals, immune modulators or Live Biotherapeutic Products (LBPs). Thirteen PhD fellowships will be available through FunHoMic at academic and biotech partner’s laboratories in France (Institut Pasteur, BIOASTER, biose), Belgium (ProDigest), Germany (Hans Knoell Institute), The Netherlands (Radboud UMC, Mimetas), Spain (VHIR), Switzerland (U. Zürich) and UK (Aberdeen U). The Fungal Biology and Pathogenicity Unit is awarded funding from the Swiss National Science Foundation under the Sinergia program to study genetic determinants of Candida albicans pathogenicity (May 2017) An interdisciplinary SNSF-funded Sinergia project has been awarded to the University of Zürich (Prof. Salomé LeibundGut), University of Lausanne (Prof. Dominique Sanglard), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale Lausanne (Dr. Sandor Kasas) and Institut Pasteur (Dr. Christophe d’Enfert and Dr. Guillaume Laval). The project focuses on the fungal pathogen Candida albicans and is aimed to identify fungal genetic factors associated with the variability in the outcomes of fungal-host interactions. Genetic factors will be identified using several parallel approaches based on the association of diverse phenotypes (obtained in vitro, in vivo and through transcriptomics) with whole genomes data from a collection of clinical isolates. Dr. Jeanne Ropars, post-doctoral fellow in the Fungal Biology and Pathogenicity Unit, is appointed at the CNRS (june 2017) From 2018, Jeanne will join the Laboratoire d’Ecologie, Systématique et Evolution to work on genome evolution in fungi used for cheese-making. Dr. Mennat El-Ghalid, post-doctoral fellow in the Fungal Biology and Pathogenicity Unit, becomes one of the 21 2017 TED Global Fellows (may 2017) The TED Fellows program provides transformational support to an international community of 436 visionaries who collaborate across disciplines to create positive change around the world. Mennat El Ghalid will deliver a talk at TED Global this August in Arusha, Tanzania joining a growing list of 436 other Fellows from 94 countries around the world. It will be the first time in a decade that TED will be held in Africa. see news on CNN website  Dr. Sadri Znaidi, scientist at Institut Pasteur in Tunis, is awarded the status of affiliate researcher of the Institut Pasteur International Network, to work in the Fungal Biology and Pathogenicity Unit (march 2017) Dr. Sadri Znaidi, assistant biologist at the Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Vaccinology and Biotechnological Development at the Institut Pasteur in Tunis, was awarded the status of affiliate researcher of the Institut Pasteur International Network. The RIIP Affiliate program strengthens exchanges and collaborations between researchers of the Network and those of the Institut Pasteur. see news.