[SCAN] In search of unforeseen paths to fight the threat of mycotic diseases

Scan Seminar

Title: In search of unforeseen paths to fight the threat of mycotic diseases

Speaker: Cristina Silva Pereira

From: Applied and Environmental Mycology Lab, ITQB

Abstract

In the search of mechanistic understandings of ionic liquids eco-toxicological impacts in fungi, we have collected data on the fungal proteome, transcriptome and metabolome upon exposure to this chemical stress. Data illuminated new hypothesis that altered the paradigm of our research – exploit ionic liquids as tools to guide discovery of pathways and metabolites in fungi that may impact their development and pathogenicity. As our group gets closer to understanding the primary effects of each ionic liquid family and move towards the identification of their specific gene targets, the vision of developing antifungal ionic liquids and materials, by taking advantage of elegant progresses in this field, might become a reality. Task-designed formulations can be used to improve the performance of conventional antifungal drugs and to generate coatings that inhibit biofilm and allergen formation in fungi, as well as to isolate naturally occurring antifungal plant polymers.
We are confident that the frontier research in the cross-disciplinary field of ionic liquids may provide us unforeseen means to address the global concern of mycotic diseases. Pathogenic and opportunistic fungi are responsible for numerous infections and are emerging as causative agents in a broad diversity of clinical conditions. They kill annually nearly 1.5 million immunocompromised individuals worldwide, a similar rate to malaria or tuberculosis. I will review our major findings and current hypothesis, contextualizing how they might bring us closer to efficient strategies to prevent and fight mycotic diseases.