Abstract
Candida albicans is a common fungal commensal of the human gut that can become an opportunistic pathogen, causing serious and potentially life-threatening infections. A key determinant of its pathogenicity is its ability to transition from the yeast to the filamentous hyphal form, a morphological switch that facilitates tissue invasion and infection.
Interestingly, C. albicans can sense and respond to molecular signals derived from neighboring gut bacteria. Among these signals are peptidoglycan fragments (PGNs), released during bacterial cell wall remodeling and degradation, which can potently induce hyphal morphogenesis. In this talk, Dr Qiao will discuss our recent efforts to uncover how C. albicans detects extracellular PGNs, highlighting our identification of a cell-surface sensor that mediates this interkingdom communication. Understanding how bacterial signals regulate fungal morphogenesis and pathogenicity may reveal new opportunities for developing antifungal strategies.
Biography
Dr. Qiao is an Assistant Professor in the School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology (CCEB) at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. Her research focuses on elucidating the molecular signals that mediate gut microbiota–host interactions, with the goal of developing novel therapeutic strategies. She studied chemistry at Bryn Mawr College (USA) and earned her Ph.D. in Chemical Biology from Harvard University. She is an EMBO Global Investigator and serves as an Associate Editor of ACS Infectious Diseases.
