Combinatorial responses of fungal pathogens to their human hosts: an Integrative Systems Biology approach

Lead Research Organisation: University of Aberdeen
Department Name: School of Medical Sciences

Abstract

Biological systems are constantly subjected to a wide variety of external stimuli and challenges. Many of these change continuously and in order to survive the organism must respond appropriately to each new set of circumstances. It is however difficult for scientists to study such complex perturbations and so typically researchers have focused on one stimulus at a time. Whilst this has yielded major biological insights, to make further progress we need to develop approaches to studying combinations of several simultaneous perturbations. This cannot be done using conventional experimental techniques alone. These need to be supplemented by mathematical and computational modelling methods, which can integrate data from different experiments, reveal hidden patterns, explain apparently contradictory results and suggest new biological hypotheses. This type of interdisciplinary research is called Systems Biology. Recently a number of centres have been established in the UK to champion Integrative Systems Biology. This project involves one of these centres (CISBIC) at Imperial College London, whose focus is on the interaction between pathogens and their hosts. CISBIC will be partnered by Aberdeen University, thereby extending the range of pathogens studied at CISBIC, strengthening the two institutions existing collaborations and helping to integrate the rapidly growing systems biology group at Aberdeen into the UK and European community. We intend to apply Integrative Systems Biology techniques to understanding how pathogenic fungi respond to the combinations of different stresses they encounter when they invade a human host. We shall focus on the major fungal pathogens of humans, Candida albicans and Candida glabrata. They cause frequent oral and vaginal infections (thrush) and cause life-threatening infections of the bloodstream and internal organs in transplant and cancer patients. When such pathogens invade a patient, the immune system normally responds with a variety of counter-measures designed to kill the pathogen. For the microbe these counter-measures are essentially equivalent to environmental stresses, and hence it activates strategies to minimize the damage done by these stresses. The success of the pathogen depends on how well it counteracts these stresses to defeat the host's defences. We will study how these pathogenic Candida species respond to the combinations of stresses they experience in their human host. We will start by investigating each of three stresses in isolation and then use a mixture of experiments and models to explore how these responses differ when two different stresses are applied together. We will then use this information to predict and then validate what happens when the three stresses are encountered simultaneously. Finally, we will evaluate the extent to which our understanding of stress responses in these two pathogenic species can be used to predict the responses of related species for which less experimental information is available. This is an important biological question / this project will provide invaluable information about how biological systems in general respond to combinations of environmental signals as well as increasing our understanding of how pathogenic microbes interact with humans.

Technical Summary

Biological systems function in constantly changing and complex environments, where they are subject to wide ranging combinations of stimuli and perturbations. To fully understand such systems one must experimentally perturb them, measure the resulting dynamic responses, and account for these responses mechanistically. Most researchers examine responses to individual stimuli in isolation. However, in reality most organisms are simultaneously exposed to multiple stimuli. Understanding and predicting the responses of biological systems to such complex combinatorial perturbations is a difficult but essential challenge, which can only be achieved through a well-organised programme that integrates experimental biology with mathematical modelling. We will address this challenge in the context of the major fungal pathogens Candida albicans and Candida glabrata and their responses to the combinatorial stresses they encounter in their human host. The virulence of these pathogens depends upon these stress responses. Combinatorial stress responses are likely to be complex, dynamic and nonlinear. It is impractical to explore all possible permutations experimentally, and therefore we will replace most experiments with a sequence of increasingly sophisticated models, developed in an iterative fashion with carefully chosen experiments. First we will model individual stress responses, then establish how to combine such models in a pairwise fashion, continue by developing models that describe responses to three simultaneous stresses, and finally determine the extent to which modelling can be used to predict combinatorial stress responses in related species. This will yield important insights into the virulence of major fungal pathogens, and will establish new generic approaches for the integration of individual models and the rational design of combinatorial biological experiments. We predict that these tools will be applicable in a wide variety of biological systems.

Publications

10 25 50
 
Description The key findings of the CRISP team are as follows: - For the first time, we defined the molecular and cellular responses of major fungal pathogens (Candida albicans and Candida glabrata) to combinatorial stresses. - We confirmed the relevance of these responses to fungus-host interactions during infection. - We developed and validated mathematical models that successfully predict the responses of Candida albicans to physiologically relevant combinatorial stresses encountered in the host. - We compared the stress regulatory networks in Candida glabrata and Candida albicans, revealing fundamental differences in the circuitry that drives stress responses in these pathogenic fungi. We also revealed major differences between these pathogens and the "model yeast" Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This indicated that cross-species comparisons between benign model yeats and fungal pathogens are dangerous. We also highlighted common points of system fragility relating to combinatorial cationic and oxidative stress responses. - Our work has shown that existing data and models from S. cerevisiae have limited utility in understanding the responses of pathogenic fungi to host defences. - Some of our generic tools are applicable to other biological systems. Also, our dynamic models provide a platform for the modelling of combinatorial stress responses in other species. However, our models will have to be modified to address the significant evolutionary differences between these systems. - We have provided our CRISP researchers with a strong multidisciplinary training in Integrative Systems Biology, and many of them are now using this training to advance their careers at excellent institutions.
Exploitation Route Our findings are being used by those interested in: - medical mycology - stress responses - yeast genomics - systems biology - antifungal drugs that might exploit the exquisite sensitivity of fungal pathogens to certain combinatorial stresses
Sectors Education

Healthcare

Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology

URL http://www.abdn.ac.uk/ims/research/crisp-1117.php
 
Description The CRISP (Combinatorial Responses in Stress Pathways) project has had significant impacts upon the academic community. - It has opened the eyes of researchers to the non-additive impacts of combinatorial environmental inputs upon fungal pathogens. While we have focussed on combinatorial stresses of relevance to host niches, other groups have started to examine the impacts of other combinations of physiologically relevant inputs, that include ambient temperature, ambient pH, other stresses, nutrients, quorum sensing. - Our team was one of the first in the medical mycology field to use integrative systems biology approaches. Our presentations have encouraged other medical mycologists to exploit systems approaches (e.g. Elaine Bignell, at Imperial College, now Manchester University; Carol Kumamoto, Boston University). - We have encouraged established mathematical modellers working on established model systems to use their expertise to study fungal pathogens (e.g. Edda Klipp, Humboldt University, Berlin) - We have trained a generation of medical mycologists with expertise in integrative systems biology approaches. Most of these researchers have now gained positions at prestigious institutions, and two have gained systems biology positions in industry. - Our CRISP PIs have spread systems biology expertise from the initial Systems Biology Centre involved in this collaboration (CISBIC) to two other institutions (the Universities of Aberdeen and Exeter). CRISP PIs also established the Institute for Complex Systems and Mathematical Biology at Aberdeen University.
First Year Of Impact 2010
Sector Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology,Other
 
Description Computing Science Department Travel Fund
Amount £450 (GBP)
Organisation University of Aberdeen 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2009 
End 01/2009
 
Description EC Marie-Curie Initial Training Network: Network for Integrated Cellular Homeostasis (NICHE)
Amount £3,500,000 (GBP)
Funding ID FP7-PEOPLE-2011-ITN; Project reference: 289384 
Organisation European Commission 
Sector Public
Country European Union (EU)
Start 01/2012 
End 01/2015
 
Description IMS travel grant: expenses for the attendance of a CRISP-releated conference.
Amount £150 (GBP)
Organisation University of Aberdeen 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2013 
End 01/2013
 
Description Mechanisms directing stress-specific outputs from a regulatory hub - Hog1 in Candida albicans
Amount £422,260 (GBP)
Funding ID BB/K017365/1 
Organisation Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 11/2013 
End 09/2016
 
Description Predictive optimisation of biocatalyst production for high-value chemical manufacturing
Amount £367,423 (GBP)
Funding ID 101439 
Organisation Innovate UK 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2013 
End 01/2015
 
Description Principal's Excellence Fund: for the attendance of a CRISP-releated conference.
Amount £271 (GBP)
Organisation University of Aberdeen 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2011 
End 01/2011
 
Description Qualitative Model Learning of Biological Pathways Using Multiple-objective Optimisation
Amount £1,500 (GBP)
Organisation British Council 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2011 
End 01/2012
 
Description Spatial and temporal regulation of the fungus-host interaction during life-threatening fungal infections
Amount £1,500,000 (GBP)
Funding ID 249793 
Organisation European Commission 
Sector Public
Country European Union (EU)
Start 04/2010 
End 04/2015
 
Description The bioinformatics approach to study the interaction of non-coding RNA and proteins
Amount £10,000 (GBP)
Funding ID Grant No.: 20090116 
Organisation Jilin University 
Department College of Computer Science and Technology
Sector Academic/University
Country China
Start 01/2010 
End 01/2012
 
Description The bioinformatics approach to study the interaction of non-coding RNA and proteins
Amount £10,000 (GBP)
Funding ID Grant No.: 20090116 
Organisation Jilin University 
Department College of Computer Science and Technology
Sector Academic/University
Country China
Start 01/2010 
End 01/2012
 
Description The grant helped finance the travel expenses for the attendance of a CRISP-releated conference.
Amount £500 (GBP)
Organisation University of Aberdeen 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2010 
End 01/2010
 
Description The grant helped finance the travel expenses for the attendance of a CRISP-releated conference.
Amount £500 (GBP)
Organisation University of Aberdeen 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2012 
End 01/2012
 
Description The study of bioinformatics algorithms for recognition of small RNA molecules in the genome of agricultural crops
Amount £5,000 (GBP)
Organisation Jilin University 
Sector Academic/University
Country China
Start 01/2010 
End 12/2011
 
Description The study of bioinformatics algorithms for recognition of small RNA molecules in the genome of agricultural crops
Amount £5,000 (GBP)
Organisation Jilin University 
Sector Academic/University
Country China
Start 01/2010 
End 01/2011
 
Description This is a joint travel grant funded by the following program: UK/Germany: Academic Research Collaboration (ARC) programmes. The researcher obtained this travel grant to attend a workshop named "Building a Successful International Research Career", which
Amount £500 (GBP)
Funding ID British Council/DAAD 
Organisation British Council 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2011 
End 01/2011
 
Description Welcome Trust Strategic Award in Medical Mycology and Fungal Immunology
Amount £5,100,000 (GBP)
Organisation Wellcome Trust 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2012 
End 01/2017
 
Description supported a researcher's attendance of the Workshop on Bioinformatics and Systems Biology (WBSB 2010) in Changchun, China
Amount £500 (GBP)
Organisation University of Aberdeen 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2010 
End 01/2010
 
Description to attend The 3rd FEBS Advanced Lecture Course on Systems Biology, which was held in Alpbach, Austria
Amount £1,000 (GBP)
Organisation Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS) 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2009 
End 01/2009
 
Description Collaboration with Aberdeen mass spectrometric unit 
Organisation University of Aberdeen
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution A collaboration was established with the mass spectrometric unit at the University of Aberdeen to study stress models in Candida spec.
Start Year 2012
 
Description Collaboration with Dr Brand, University of Aberdeen 
Organisation University of Aberdeen
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Our collaboration with Dr Brand was used to study C. albicans growth.
Start Year 2012
 
Description Collaboration with Dr Quinn, Newcastle University, 
Organisation Newcastle University
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Our collaboration was used to study oxidative stress responses in Candida spec.
Collaborator Contribution Our collaboration was used to study oxidative stress responses in Candida spec.
Impact Outputs - lots of joint papers
 
Description Collaboration with GenePool, University of Edinburgh 
Organisation University of Edinburgh
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution A collaboration was established with the genomics and bioinformatics facility GenePool to use high throughput SAGE sequencing for C. albicans transcriptomics.
Start Year 2010
 
Description Collaboration with Ken Haynes (Exeter) 
Organisation University of Exeter
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Candida albicans molecular biology
Collaborator Contribution Candida glabrata molecular biology
Impact Joint papers
 
Description Collaboration with Prof Beynon, University of Liverpool 
Organisation University of Liverpool
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution A collaboration was established with Prof Beynon to establish and use his new technical appoaches in proteomics and functional genomics.
Start Year 2008
 
Description Collaboration with Prof Goksör and Dr Sott, University of Gothenburg 
Organisation University of Gothenburg
Country Sweden 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution A collaboration was established with with Prof Goksör and Dr Sott to receive training on their microfluidic system and measure dynamic changes in Candida size.
Start Year 2010
 
Description Collaboration with Prof Gustin, Rice University 
Organisation Rice University
Country United States 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution A collaboration was established with Prof Gustin to study OS and NS signalling in Candida spec.
Start Year 2012
 
Description Collaboration with Prof Lefranc, University of Lille 
Organisation University of Lille
Country France 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution A collaboration was established with Prof Lefranc to use stochastic modelling for the study of processes during transcription and translation.
Start Year 2012
 
Description Collaboration with Prof Loake, University of Edinburgh 
Organisation University of Edinburgh
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution A collaboration was established with Prof Gary Loake to study nitrosative stress and S-nitrosylation in Candida spec.
Start Year 2010
 
Description Collaboration with Prof Parmeggiani, University of Montpellier 2 
Organisation University of Montpellier
Country France 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution A collaboration was established with Prof Parmeggiani to study ribosome traffic.
Start Year 2012
 
Description Collaboration with Prof Segal, University at Buffalo 
Organisation University at Buffalo
Country United States 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution A collaboration was established with Prof Segal to study stress in Candida spec. in transgenic mice.
Collaborator Contribution Expertise and dataset that were essential for a paper
Impact A multidisciplinary paper involving fungal molecular biology, fungal immunology with input from mathematical modellers: Kaloriti, D., Jacobsen, M., Yin, Z., Patterson, M., Tillmann, A., Smith, D.A., Cook, E., You, T., Grimm, M.J., Bohovych, I., Grebogi, C., Segal, B.H., Gow, N.A.R., Haynes, K., Quinn, J. and Brown, A.J.P. (2014) Mechanisms underlying the exquisite sensitivity of Candida albicans to combinatorial cationic and oxidative stress that enhances the potent fungicidal activity of phagocytes. mBio 5, e01334-14.
Start Year 2012
 
Description Collaboration with Prof Stansfield, University of Aberdeen 
Organisation University of Aberdeen
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Our collaboration with Prof Stansfield was used to study ribosome traffic.
Start Year 2012
 
Description Collaboration with Prof White, University of Missouri-Kansas City 
Organisation University of Missouri-Kansas City
Country United States 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution A collaboration was established with Prof Theodore White to model the epidemiological shift from C. albicans to C. glabrata.
Start Year 2012
 
Description Collaboration with Syngenta 
Organisation Syngenta International AG
Country Switzerland 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution A collaboration was established with Syngenta to determine the impact of osmotic stress upon Candida spec. metabolomes.
Start Year 2008
 
Description Collaboration with other Group Leaders in the Aberdeen Fungal Group 
Organisation University of Aberdeen
Department Aberdeen Fungal Group
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Multifarious contributions relating to Candida albicans genomics, molecular biology, systems biology
Collaborator Contribution Multifarious contributions relating to Candida albicans cell wall, drug tolerance, immunology and infection biology
Impact Outputs - numerous successful collaborations leading to >100 joint papers.
 
Description Adaptation of a fungal pathogen to complex niches in its human host - EMBL Conference: Frontiers in Fungal Systems Biology - September 2014 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? Yes
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.)
Results and Impact Yeast and filamentous fungi are widely used as model eukaryotic organisms and as cell factories for biochemical and protein production. Moreover, various fungal species are leading cause of pathogenic infections in both animals and plants. The main objective of the proposed meeting is to bring together leading experts in various aspects of fungal molecular biology and review the recent progresses driven by the current "OMICS" technologies.

The meeting will facilitate interactions between cell biology, structural biology, systems biology and mathematical modelling communities. Moreover new strategies to maximize the impact of "OMICS" approaches on the holistic understanding and system-level modelling of fungal systems and processes will be addressed. This includes cellular architecture (incl. macro-molecular assemblies, compartmentalisation and localisation of proteins and pathways), metabolism (incl. secondary metabolism, protein-metabolite interactions and metabolic engineering), pathogenicity (incl. regulation of virulence and effect of environmental factors), adaptation to extreme environment (esp. thermophily) and genetic engineering.

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Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
URL http://www.embl.de/training/events/2014/FUN14-01/introduction/
 
Description Adaptation of a fungal pathogen to host-imposed stresses - International Conference on Systems, Stiges, Spain: Nov 2015 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Presentation to international community on systems biology
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2015
 
Description Analysis of combinatorial stress responses in the pathogenic fungus Candida albicans applying an Integrative Systems Biology approach - ASM Conference on Candida and Candidiasis - March 2014 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? Yes
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.)
Results and Impact This is the 12th conference in the highly successful ASM conference series that addresses Candida - a major cause of infectious disease in AIDS patients, cancer chemotherapy patients, premature infants, and many others. This conference, which is the top conference in the area, will provide a vital forum for the Candida research community to present the latest advances and ideas about the diagnosis and treatment of Candida infections, antifungal drug resistance, the genomics and epidemiology of the fungus, the molecular mechanisms that underpin Candida pathobiology, and the immunological responses of the host to the fungus. Once again, most talks at the conference have been selected from the submitted abstracts. This conference will help determine the course of future research in this area and empower major ongoing efforts to understand, treat, and prevent Candida infections.

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Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
URL http://conferences.asm.org/index.php/2012-02-09-21-04-52/2012-02-09-21-03-56
 
Description Announcement of CRISP grant award 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact After the BBSRC's announcement of the SABR Initiative, Aberdeen University and Imperial College delivered press releases highlighting the CRISP award. These were placed on our institutional websites and sent to the media. News of the CRISP award was also reported in the Press and Journal in November 2007. press releases in newspaper and on institutional websites

no actual impacts realised to date
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2007
 
Description Bugs & germs - and why we should wash our hands 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact Bugs & germs - and why we should wash our hands

no further impacts realised to date
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2013
 
Description Bugs&germs - and why we should wash our hands 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact Bugs=rms - and why we should wash our hands

no actual impacts realised to date
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2013
 
Description CRISP websites 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Project websites were set up in 2008 with the start of the CRISP project websites at University of Aberdeen and Imperial College London

no actual impacts realised to date
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2008
 
Description Cafe Scientifique on fungi 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Presentation to inform the public about Fungal Pathogens

no actual impacts realised to date
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2013
 
Description Cafe Scientifique: Mathematics of Partner Selection 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Cafe Scientifique: Mathematics of Partner Selection

no actual impacts realised to date
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2013
 
Description Carbon source-conditional modulation of Candida stress responses - Intl Course on Human Pathogens, La Colle sur Loup, France: May 2015 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Presentation at an Advanced Course
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2015
 
Description Chris' mosaic of global fairness (PechaKucha) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? Yes
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact PechaKucha nights involve a series of short talks through which the presenters bring together art, design, research and fresh ideas. On the background of One World Week this presentation introduced the public to the work of the Aberdeen Fungal Group. The aim of this talk was to demonstrate the relevance of local academic research to questions of global fairness. PechaKucha is an international format, which has spread around the globe. It was brought to Aberdeen by the public engagement team of the University of Aberdeen. audio recording

photo of participants

no actual impacts realised to date
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2013
 
Description Evolutionary rewiring in a fungal pathogen of humans - tuning adaptive responses to host niches - Australasian Yeast Group Meeting - November 2014 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? Yes
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.)
Results and Impact The Australian Yeast Group grew from national conferences on 'Yeast: Products and Discovery' (YPD) held in 2000 and 2002 that focused on yeast as a model organism in fundamental research (e.g. molecular biology, physiology and biochemistry) and applications of yeast in industry (e.g. beer making, winemaking and heterologous expression). The YPD 2000 and YPD 2002 conferences brought together 50 - 60 yeast scientists from a diversity of backgrounds in industry, academia and research institutes. With the inclusion of our colleagues from New Zealand, the Australasian Yeast Group was born. The aim of this homepage is to provide a means of keeping the members of this community in touch with one another and with what is going on in the world of yeast science, particularly (but not exclusively) in Australia and New Zealand

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Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
URL http://www.ayeastgroup.org/
 
Description Fungal Kingdom exhibit at Explorathon during European Researchers Night 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Contribution to the presentation of the "Fungal Kingdom" exhibit at Explorathon in the Aberdeen Science Museum during European Researchers Night [30 September], which was attended by hundreds.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
URL http://www.explorathon.co.uk/aberdeen
 
Description Fungal adaptation affects immune surveillance - Cold Spring Harbor Conference, USA: Sept 2015 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Talk to international community and postgrad students
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2015
 
Description Fungal adaptation, pathogenesis and disease - Infectious Diseases Conference, Putrajaya, Malaysia - April 2015 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Talk to Far Eastern Community including clinicians
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2015
 
Description GRC on Cellular & Molecular Fungal Biology 2016 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Co-Deputy Chair Gordon Research Conference on Cellular & Molecular Fungal Biology
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
URL https://www.grc.org/programs.aspx?id=11335
 
Description How a fungal pathogen adapts to its human host - Dunedin University - December 2014 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.)
Results and Impact Invited Talk - Dunedin University - December 2014 - Dunedin, New Zealand

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Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
 
Description Invited Lecture at Mycology Course, Szeged Hungary 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Invited Lecture at Mycology Course, Szeged Hungary on "Impact of metabolic adaptation upon Candida albicans pathogenicity"
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
 
Description Invited Lecture at Mycology Systems Biology Course, UK 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Invited Lecture at Mycology Systems Biology Course, UK on "How is Systems Biology increasing our understanding of Candida albicans pathobiology?"
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
 
Description Invited seminar (NIMR) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Seminar at National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill on "Impact of metabolic adaptation on the pathogenicity of Candida albicans"
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
 
Description Killer Fungus exhibit at Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Contribution to the presentation of the successful "Killer Fungus" exhibit at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition in London, which was attended by thousands. Our feedback indicated that this exhibit increased awareness of the impact of fungal diseases upon human health and of the types of research that are being done by UK researchers to address this impact.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
URL https://royalsociety.org/science-events-and-lectures/summer-science-exhibition/exhibits/killer-fungu...
 
Description Lab in a Lorry 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact Demonstration of science experiments to students at International School of Aberdeen.

Operated by the Institute of Physics in partnership with OPITO, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government, Schlumberger Foundation and STEMNET.

no actual impacts realised to date
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2013
 
Description Managing stress in a fungal pathogen - Intl Systems Biology Advanced Course, Innsbruck, Austria: Feb 2015 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Lectures and tutorial at Advanced Course on Systems Biology
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
 
Description Mathematical Modelling - The War Within Us 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Mathematical Modelling - The War Within Us

no actual impacts realised to date
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2012
 
Description Mathematics and crime 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Part of the British Science Festival 2012

no actual impacts realised to date
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2012
 
Description Metabolic adaptation affects Candida albicans pathogenicity - Intl Fungal Genetics Conference: Asilomar USA, March 2015 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Outreach to international community
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2015
 
Description Modelling Immune Systems War Against Pathogens 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Developed and presented an interactive programme that elucidates host immune cells (macrophages) fight the war against C. albicans. Presented a poster. part of the British Science Festival

no actual impacts realised to date
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2012
 
Description Molecular multitasking by a major fungal pathogen of humans - adapting to complex host niches - New Zealand Microbiology Society Conference - November 2014 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? Yes
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.)
Results and Impact The Annual conference of the New Zealand Microbiological Society Inc and the New Zealand Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

This years conference focuses on the challenges of being a scientist in the post-genomic era. Whether you are a student or a veteran scientist, keeping up with all that's new is a major part of the job!

The conference is designed on the following themes:
The challenge of functional genomics - Integration of proteomic, transcription, and metabolic information to provide a complete profile.
New Zealand's biological heritage - Microbial biodiversity, biosecurity and emerging microbial threats.
Science for technological innovation - What can synthetic biology achieve in the next decade?

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Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
URL http://nzms2014.org.nz/
 
Description Molecular multitasking in Candida albicans during adaption to host niches - Irish Fungal Society Meeting - June 2014 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? Yes
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.)
Results and Impact The purpose of the Irish Fungal Society is to promote research on all aspects of fungi in Ireland. This is currently achieved by providing a forum for researchers and clinicians with an interest in fungi to meet and discuss their ideas, research data and clinical experiences. The second aim of the society is to educate the medical and scientific communities on basic and applied fungal biology. These goals will be achieved primarily by organizing an Annual Scientific Meeting at which junior scientists and clinicians, as well as invited international and national experts in Mycology will present their research.

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Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
URL http://www.irishfungalsociety.com/
 
Description Opening of the new Institute of Complex Systems and Mathematical Biology 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Announcement of the opening of the new Institute of Complex Systems and Mathematical Biology at Aberdeen University in the local press in September 2009

no actual impacts realised to date
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2009
 
Description Stress adaptation in a fungal pathogen - SULSA Systems Biology Symposium - May 2014 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? Yes
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.)
Results and Impact -
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
URL http://www.sulsa.ac.uk/
 
Description Stress adaptation in a pathogenic fungus - JEB Symposium on Stress - March 2013 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? Yes
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.)
Results and Impact The JEB Symposia were launched in 1979 at the suggestion of the then Editor-in-Chief, John Treherne. Their aim was, and still is, to review knowledge and stimulate further research in an expanding topic of experimental biology and to bring together scientists from different areas to encourage cross-fertilization of techniques and knowledge across specialization boundaries. Since the first symposium on 'Cellular oscillators', the annual JEB symposia have covered a diverse array of topics within experimental biology, highlighting the relevance and power of the comparative approach to mainstream physiology.

In order that the proceedings of each symposium are made available to biologists as soon as possible, speakers are invited to contribute a review article to a special issue of the journal. These special issues are freely available on the JEB website from the time of publication.

Proceedings of symposium
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2013
URL http://jeb.biologists.org/site/about/symposia.xhtml
 
Description Systems Biology article 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact An article in the Aberdeen Magazine which addressed Systems Biology

no actual impacts realised to date
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2009
 
Description The Many Variables in Romance - how can maths help assess aspects of relationships 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? Yes
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Talk at a public dissemination event "Love Under the Stars" in Aberdeen on Valentines Day 2010. The event was covered in the local press. The event was supported by a Scottish Government Science Engagement award.

no actual impacts realised to date
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2010
 
Description The adaptation of a fungal pathogen to complex niches in its human host - Gordon Conference on Cellular & Molecular Fungal Biology - June 2014 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? Yes
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.)
Results and Impact The 2014 Gordon Conference on Cellular and Molecular Fungal Biology (CMFB) will focus on the biology of fungi from the integrative perspective of cellular and molecular mechanisms, systems, and evolution at the Holderness School, an ideal venue for scientific interaction in a spectacular New England setting. The 2014 CFMB conference will continue in its tradition of collegial exchange among a diversity of attendees including graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and PIs from university, government, and industrial laboratories. In sessions, late-breaking and unpublished research will be presented succinctly and balanced in approximately equal part by group discussion under the topics of: fungi in microbiomes, genome dynamics, development, cell biology, secretion and cell walls, fungi and biofuels, population and evolutionary genomics, symbiosis and pathogenicity, and a special session on late-breaking topics selected from the abstract submissions. In addition to the formal sessions in the mornings and evenings, there will be ample opportunity for informal exchange and recreation in the afternoons. The integrative theme will encourage substantive exchange among disciplines and ensure that the overall quality of the scientific experience will be higher than the sum of its component parts.

-
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
URL http://www.grc.org/programs.aspx?year=2014&program=fungal
 
Description The adaptation of a major fungal pathogen to complex host niches - Infection Symposium - March 2014 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? Yes
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.)
Results and Impact -
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
 
Description Waging war on fungi - the unknown superbugs 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Why is it that so little emphasis is placed on fungal pathogenicity in general, and in particular, only about 2-3% of the infectious disease research budget is currently devoted to medical mycology in the UK, USA and Europe?

no actual impacts realised to date
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2012
URL http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6qKhjwFNaM
 
Description War within us 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Ppart of the British Science Festival

no actual impacts realised to date
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2012