Biofilm formation in Candida albicans

Candida albicans is an opportunistic pathogen that causes life-threatening, systemic disease in immuno-compromised individuals, such as patients undergoing chemotherapy. Patients with catheters and joint replacements are predisposed to systemic fungal dis ease because C. albicans forms sessile communities of microorganisms, known as biofilms, on inorganic surfaces. These biofilms are resistant to antifungal agents and cause recurrent infections that are difficult to treat. I intend to identify genes that a re necessary for C. albicans biofilm formation. First, I will test whether any of the known adhesins and morphogenetic regulators in C. albicans are necessary for biofilm growth. Second, I will use S. cerevisiae to screen for C. albicans genes involved in adherence to PVC. This experiment should identify genes involved in the initial step of biofilm formation, surface attachment. Finally I will use an antisense RNA inhibition strategy to screen for genes necessary for biof ilm growth in the presence and a bsence of antifungals. These approaches should allow me to identify genes necessary for both initial and later stages of biofilm formation and may provide insights into the origin of the antifungal resistance of biofilm grown cells.