We invite all faculty members and students to a departmental seminar featuring a guest lecture as part of the Visiting Professors Program (short visits).
Our department will host Robert Zarnowski, PhD (University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA), who – at the invitation of Dr. Anna Jaromin from the Department of Lipids and Liposomes – will deliver an open lecture titled:
“Pathogenicity Determinants of Candida Biofilm Biology.”
The lecture will take place on March 25, 2025, from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM in Lecture Hall 1.05 of the Faculty of Biotechnology building.
The visit is funded by the “Excellence Initiative – Research University” program.
Extracellular matrix deposits in Candida albicans biofilm.
Fungi are responsible for an estimated 2.5 million deaths annually, with Candida species ranking among the leading causes of invasive fungal disease. Candida albicans remains the most common cause of Candida infections, while Candida auris has recently emerged as a globally significant, multidrug-resistant, health care-associated fungal pathogen. Mortality rates related to Candida infections often exceed 40% despite available therapeutic interventions. A major contributor to the virulence of Candida is its ability to form biofilms, which exhibit enhanced pathogenicity driven by several key determinants. Among these is the production of an extracellular matrix (ECM) that shields fungal cells from antifungal agents and host immune defenses. The ECM is composed of the four major classes of biomolecules: carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids, and proteins. Its formation is mediated by secreted extracellular vesicles (EVs), which deliver cargo into the extracellular milieu, further strengthening biofilm resilience. As a result, Candida biofilms present a significant challenge in clinical settings. Understanding the role of EVs in Candida biofilm biology opens new avenues for drug repurposing strategies aimed at combating these often deadly fungal infections. This talk highlights the most recent findings on EV-driven pathogenicity determinants in Candida biofilms.