Gut Microbiome and Metabolites in Fungal Pathogenesis
Candida albicans, an opportunistic fungal pathogen that resides in the intestine causes life-threatening infections in immunocompromised individuals. Using conventional and germ free mouse models, metabolomics and sequencing approaches, we aim to understand how gut commensal bacteria and metabolites interact with host to regulate the colonization, dissemination and pathogenesis of C. albicans. (Gutierrez et al. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 2020, Thangamani et al. Journal of Fungi 2021 and Datta et al, Journal of Fungi 2022)
Skin Microbiome and Host defense in Fungal Pathogenesis
Candida auris, an emerging multidrug-resistant fungal pathogen that colonize the human skin causes fatal infections in humans. We study how skin microbiota and host defense regulate the colonization and pathogenesis of C. auris. Understanding the environmental signals controlling fungal colonization will provide strategies to modulate host and microbial signals to prevent and treat C. auris infections (Tharp et al. mSphere, 2023).
Novel Antifungal Therapeutics
Rising incidence of antimicrobial resistance to the FDA-approved antifungal drugs pose increasing threat to treat multi-drug resistant fungal infections. Our lab aims to develop novel therapeutic approaches by (i) Modulating microbiome/metabolites/host defense system and (ii) Develop novel small molecule inhibitors to treat fungal infections (Villa et al. Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters. 2018, Mina et al. Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters. 2019, Weinstock et al. RSC Advances. 2019 and Lawson et al. Bioorganic Chemistry. 2020).