MRC Centre for Medical Mycology

Lead Research Organisation: UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
Department Name: Biosciences

Abstract

The major contribution of fungi to the global burden of disease is not widely appreciated, despite the fact that fungi infect billions of people annually. While most infections are non-life threatening superficial infections, such as athlete's foot, millions of people contract invasive fungal diseases resulting in global mortality figures that rival those of tuberculosis or malaria. Despite their huge burden and high rates of death, fungal infections remain understudied compared with other infectious diseases and there is a pressing need for more research in this field. Experts in the field, including Aberdeen scientists, have identified three priorities that require urgent attention: (i) to improve our ability to detect fungal infections, (ii) to generate better antifungal drugs, and (iii) to enhance the understanding of fungal immunity and its exploitation to fight these diseases. The limited progress in tackling these challenges is due, in large part, to a lack of basic and clinical scientists working in this field in the UK and worldwide.

The UK has a small but highly active community of scientists working on fungal diseases (medical mycologists), with the largest group based at The University of Aberdeen (the Aberdeen Fungal Group, AFG). The AFG, which consists of 11 independent research teams, totalling around eighty individuals, is internationally recognised as a leading group in this field. We aim to achieve maximal synergistic potential within the diverse expertise of the AFG by establishing a world-leading MRC Centre of excellence for research and training in Medical Mycology (MCMM). The MCMM will focus on performing cutting-edge interdisciplinary research and on training the next generation of scientists to increase research capacity in this neglected field in the UK.

Establishing the MCMM will facilitate full integration of the complementary areas of expertise into six exciting research themes that address the key priorities of this field. Moreover, creation of the MCMM will lead to the recruitment of two academics whose expertise will add significant complementary value to the current group, and enable expansion of our research capacity into important new areas. One post will be in Bioinformatics, which will study and help process our massive biological datasets. This post will empower new technologies that will allow us to gain important insights into the mechanisms of fungal disease. The second post will be in immunology which, in addition to delivering cutting-edge science, will help promote the translation of our scientific discoveries into new diagnostic, preventative and therapeutic applications. The MCMM will also be used as a platform to raise awareness and influence policy regarding the management of fungal diseases within the broader academic community and the general public.

A major objective of the MCMM is to increase capacity in medical mycology in the UK by delivering a cohort of 21 basic and clinical researchers through a range of world leading training programmes. This will include a bespoke four-year MRes-PhD programme for 13 students that will provide a broad interdisciplinary training that is not available anywhere else; 3 Early Career Fellowships to promote an early independent research career in medical mycology for outstanding individuals; 5 Fellowships for excellent clinical trainees to provide one year of focussed academic training and research and to establish a foundation for subsequent PhD fellowship applications; and 10 eight-week summer scholarships for fourth-year medical students to stimulate their interest in medical mycology, and to promote links between the MCMM and other centres in this field. The MCMM Fellows, PhD students and clinical trainees will underpin the integration of the AFG, through appointment to jointly-supervised projects within our new research themes, and will significantly advance our understanding of fungal disease.

Technical Summary

We will create an MRC Centre which is recognised internationally as a leading centre of excellence for research and training in Medical Mycology (the MCMM). Creation of the MCMM will enable us to establish an optimal configuration that will exploit our collective strength and will maximise our potential for fundamental and translational science, as well as for providing world-leading training in medical mycology. New posts in bioinformatics and in experimental immunology will add scope, depth and translatability to our existing research strengths. Six innovative and cross-disciplinary research themes are proposed:

1. Fungal cell surface dynamics and its impact on antimicrobial chemotherapy and host immunity;

2. Fungal components as antifungal drug targets, diagnostics, vaccine antigens and adjuvants;

3. Fungal growth, adaptation and morphogenesis in the context of infection;

4. Temporal host-fungal interactions and key mediators that influence disease establishment and progression at molecular, cellular and organismal levels;

5. Exploiting emerging technologies to generate global perspectives that broaden our mechanistic understanding of host-fungal interactions;

6. Unravelling patient susceptibility to enable directed diagnosis, treatment and prevention of fungal disease.

MCMM Early Career Fellows, PhD students and clinical trainees will enable these research themes and foster interconnectivity and interdisciplinarity within and beyond the MCMM. The training of these Fellows and students will address the urgent requirement for increased capacity in basic and clinical research in this neglected field in the UK. Creation of the MMCM will also accelerate translation of our science and promote a vibrant public outreach programme, maximising the impact of the excellent mycology research that occurs in Aberdeen.

Planned Impact

We propose to establish an MRC Centre in Medical Mycology (MCMM), an area of infectious disease that has enormous impact on morbidity and mortality but whose influence on human health is not widely appreciated. Creation of a world-leading centre of excellence for research and training in medical mycology will provide benefit to academia, industry, clinicians and the general public.

Benefits to academia: The training programmes within the MCMM will produce a cohort of basic scientists and clinicians with expertise in medical mycology. This cohort will contribute to building research capacity in this neglected field in the UK, adding vitality to the sector. The training and mentoring of a new cohort of Early Career Fellows will similarly contribute to capacity building in this field. Research projects addressing our new themes will lead to new interdisciplinary collaborations and advance our understanding of fungal disease. The results generated will be of interest to a wide range of specialities including, for example, immunologists and systems biologists as well as clinical academics in several specialities including, for example, infectious disease and dermatology.

Benefits to industry: Research in the MCMM will address the most pressing questions in medical mycology and is very likely to generate exploitable data, tools and resources that will advantage industry. For example, our ongoing and planned research activities will contribute directly to the development of new diagnostic platforms and drug discovery screens. Exploitation of these discoveries will be achieved through our extensive and longstanding links with other universities, SMEs and pharmaceutical companies, and the support of key translational infrastructure that is available at the University of Aberdeen. These activities will be enhanced by our institution's MRC Confidence in Concept and Wellcome Trust ISSF awards.

Benefits to clinicians: In addition to increasing capacity in clinical medical mycology through our training programme, MCMM research has the potential to improve management strategies and patient outcome in the future. In addition to the exploitable discoveries described above, for example, the new insights into antifungal immunity that we will generate may help explain susceptibility to infection and lead to the development of novel immunotherapeutic approaches. As described in the Case for Support, we have already made impacts in such areas.

Benefits to patients and the general public: The creation of the MCMM will help focus national and international attention on this important area of infectious disease. Our research will be of interest to the general public because many individuals suffer from fungal infections, as detailed in our Case for Support. We plan to disseminate information about fungal infections in the scientific and popular press, on the Internet and social media, through live events and our other outreach activities. The MCMM will host open days, continue school outreach activities, and host work experience and placement programmes for undergraduate students. MCMM members will continue to provide guest lectures on medical mycology to basic science and clinical undergraduates and postgraduates at universities throughout the UK, to raise awareness of this field. Moreover, MCMM members will continue to be involved in national patient organizations and to present our research to patients and their relatives. All MCMM staff will be involved in public outreach activities. In the longer term, MCMM research will contribute to improved treatment and outcome, resulting in enhanced quality of life and reduced impact on health care budgets.

Benefits to our Students and Fellows: In addition to world-leading training in medical mycology, the MCMM will actively promote the career development of trainees through close mentoring, training in transferable skills, and the development of strong support networks.

Publications

10 25 50
 
Title 'Discover Medical Mycology' 60 second social media teaser animation to share on various channels 
Description Discover Medical Mycology 60 second 'social media' teaser animation to share on various channels 
Type Of Art Film/Video/Animation 
Year Produced 2020 
Impact None yet 
URL https://youtu.be/wYjZ-dkkijI
 
Title 'What is the fungal threat?', a 3 minute animation to share the big research challenges facing the MRC CMM 
Description 'What is the fungal threat?' is a 3 minute animation to share the big research challenges facing the MRC CMM. 
Type Of Art Film/Video/Animation 
Year Produced 2020 
Impact none yet 
URL https://youtu.be/uCtO5QKwIaE
 
Title 4 minute animation explaining in lay terms the science behind fatal fungal disease in humans 
Description 4 minute animation explaining in lay terms the science behind fatal fungal disease in humans 
Type Of Art Film/Video/Animation 
Year Produced 2021 
Impact None yet 
 
Title Adilia Warris at GW4 AMR Alliance Video 
Description Prof Adilia Warris participated at GW4 AMR Alliance Video launched to coincide with World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, which runs from 18-24 November 2021. The GW4 AMR Alliance is an interdisciplinary research consortium of the universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff and Exeter. We aim to tackle this global challenge by increasing understanding of, and developing and implementing effective interventions for, containing, controlling and preventing antimicrobial resistance (https://gw4amr.com/). 
Type Of Art Film/Video/Animation 
Year Produced 2021 
Impact Outreach and increase awareness of the work done at the MRC CMM on this topic on the fight against antimicrobial resistance in fungi. 
URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgNpk4G-IvY
 
Title Film with artist Simon Ryder on Researching resistance exhibition 
Description Film with artist Simon Ryder on Researching resistance exhibition: https://thefungalthreat.com/take-part-and-discover/art-meets-medical-mycology/researching-resistance/ Four MRC CMM members were featured in the art exhibition "Researching Resistance" by Simon Ryder. Simon is an artist focused on "the places and landscapes we carry within us". The film describe the process and interaction of Simon with academics to realise this new creation. 
Type Of Art Film/Video/Animation 
Year Produced 2021 
Impact Dissemination and outreach through this successful interaction with with artist Simon Ryder on Researching resistance exhibition: https://thefungalthreat.com/take-part-and-discover/art-meets-medical-mycology/researching-resistance/. 
URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emiZctV5wbM
 
Title Hands-on working model of a fungal cell 
Description This giant model of a filamentous fungal cell contains a compartment in which components can be manipulated from the exterior and imaged in real-time using fluorescence. Its purpose is to demonstrate how we can understand how cells function by tracking the movement of fluorescent proteins. 
Type Of Art Artefact (including digital) 
Year Produced 2021 
Impact The model was used at the Sidmouth Science Festival and will be used for future PE events. Members of the public engaged with the model to work out the puzzle of which physical forces might act on intracellular components to distribute them correctly during cell division. 
 
Title Neil Gow: 'My Life with a killer Fungus', within Britain Needs Scientists: online talk for aged 14+ 
Description Prof Neil Gow recorded 'My Life with a killer Fungus', within Britain Needs Scientists: online talk for aged 14+ 
Type Of Art Film/Video/Animation 
Year Produced 2020 
Impact Talk targeted and tailored to children from 'widening participation' backgrounds that are considering higher education: raising aspirations and supporting university choices and applications. 
URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUsZB8wtuqY&list=PL6tbpFFnm9LQbUe4a4JdV71UFmeKkqPdW&index=31&t=54s
 
Title Peter Cook: How does our immune response combat 'hidden killers'?. Online talk as part of a Christmas Lecture series for schools 
Description Dr Peter Cook recorded: How does our immune response combat 'hidden killers'?. An online talk as part of a Christmas Lecture series for schools. 
Type Of Art Film/Video/Animation 
Year Produced 2020 
Impact Targeted and tailored to children from 'widening participation' backgrounds that are considering higher education: raising aspirations and supporting university choices and applications. 
URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4kjW_Ev7VE&feature=youtu.be
 
Title Researching Resistance: AMR exhibition 
Description Exhibition in person and online to promote awareness of fungal antimicrobial resistance: also with press, website, social media, films 
Type Of Art Artistic/Creative Exhibition 
Year Produced 2021 
Impact Four MRC CMM members were featured in the art exhibition "Researching Resistance" by Simon Ryder. Simon is an artist focused on "the places and landscapes we carry within us". It can be viewed digitally at www.artsandcultureexeter.co.uk/news/researching-resistance. It features portraits of fifteen members of the University of Exeter's AMR Network, all from different research areas and career levels, to demonstrate the wide range of people working together to tackle AMR. The portraits include MRC CMM members Professor Elaine Bignell, Dr Carolina Coelho, Dr Liliane Mukaremera, and Dr Jane Usher. Dr Carolina Coelho said of the experience: 'It was a pleasure to communicate my research with Simon and discover different perspectives and even common ground on our use of imaging technologies to aid research, discovery and art.' 
URL http://www.artsandcultureexeter.co.uk/news/researching-resistance
 
Title Your body is a planet 
Description A movie of 10 min in length made by Still Moving as part of the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology public engagement programme, incorporating live-cell imaging of fungal growth and lifestyles, some of which was generated as part of the research carried out in my group. 
Type Of Art Film/Video/Animation 
Year Produced 2022 
Impact The movie was launched in a public screening in February 2022 and will be screened at various events. 
 
Description Adilia Warris: deputy PI for the BRACE trial (BCG vaccination to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on healthcare workers)
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Membership of a guideline committee
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/medicalmycology/news/articles/mrccmmco-directorprofadil.html
 
Description Alex Brand: Appointed as Flexible Combined Honours Degree Co-ordinator for Biosciences, University of Exeter.
Geographic Reach Local/Municipal/Regional 
Policy Influence Type Influenced training of practitioners or researchers
 
Description Alex Brand: Appointed as member of the Funders Advisory Network panel, at the University of Exeter
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Participation in a guidance/advisory committee
 
Description Alex Brand: Invited Affiliate Investigator of the Living Systems Institute, at the University of Exeter
Geographic Reach Local/Municipal/Regional 
Policy Influence Type Influenced training of practitioners or researchers
 
Description Carolina Coelho: member of the Validate Network (https://www.validate-network.org/)
Geographic Reach Multiple continents/international 
Policy Influence Type Membership of a guideline committee
URL https://www.validate-network.org/
 
Description Elizabeth Johnson: Member of WHO working Party "GLASS Candida"
Geographic Reach Multiple continents/international 
Policy Influence Type Membership of a guideline committee
Impact GLASS combines patient, laboratory, and epidemiological surveillance data to enhance understanding of the extent and impact of AMR on populations. In its early implementation phase (2015-2019), GLASS aims to combine data on the status of enrolled countries' AMR surveillance systems with AMR data for selected bacterial pathogens that cause infections in humans.
URL https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/326926/WHO-WSI-AMR-2019.4-eng.pdf?ua=1
 
Description Elizabeth Johnson: Reviewer. Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute Subcommittee on Antifungal Susceptibility Tests. Since January 2021.
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Participation in a guidance/advisory committee
Impact None yet
 
Description Elizabeth Johnson: Steering Group Member of UK Clinical Mycology network (UKCMN).
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Participation in a guidance/advisory committee
URL https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/uk-clinical-mycology-network#:~:text=The%20UK%20Clinical%20Myco...
 
Description Elizabeth Johnson: Steering Group Member of UK NEQAS.
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Participation in a guidance/advisory committee
URL https://ukneqas.org.uk/
 
Description Filmed and narrated video content for GILEAD publicity campaign on antifungal mode of action studies
Geographic Reach Multiple continents/international 
Policy Influence Type Influenced training of practitioners or researchers
Impact Insights into timescales and potency of antifungal therapies will help to educate healthcare practitioners on modes of action and relative in vitro efficacies of different antifungal interventions and advances knowledge in the field of antifungal modes of action.
 
Description Thomas Harrison: Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) for: ENACT trials, phase 2 trial of an oral amphotericin B formulation in cryptococcal meningitis
Geographic Reach Multiple continents/international 
Policy Influence Type Participation in a guidance/advisory committee
 
Description Thomas Harrison: Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) for: META, phase 2 trial of metformin in HIV-infected individuals with pre-diabetes
Geographic Reach Multiple continents/international 
Policy Influence Type Participation in a guidance/advisory committee
 
Description Thomas Harrison: National COVID-19 Therapeutic Advice and Support Group (CTAG)
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Membership of a guideline committee
 
Description Thomas Harrison: Scientific Advisory Board, Joint Programme Initiative on AMR
Geographic Reach Multiple continents/international 
Policy Influence Type Participation in a guidance/advisory committee
 
Description Thomas Harrison: Trial Steering Committee (TSC) for: HARVEST, phase 3 trial of high dose rifampicin in TB meningitis
Geographic Reach Multiple continents/international 
Policy Influence Type Participation in a guidance/advisory committee
 
Description Thomas Harrison: WHO Expert Group on Fungal Pathogens
Geographic Reach Multiple continents/international 
Policy Influence Type Membership of a guideline committee
URL https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2020/04/07/default-calendar/first-meeting-of-the-who-exp...
 
Description Alex Brand and David Richards: Undergraduate Student Summer Bursary to co-supervise of a summer student for the computational analysis of a voice-prosthesis biofilm study
Amount £1,800 (GBP)
Organisation British Mycological Society 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 05/2020 
End 09/2020
 
Description An innovative, interdisciplinary platform for the dissection of Pneumocystis, a deadly fungal pathogen of humans
Amount £329,991 (GBP)
Funding ID MR/V006169/1 
Organisation Medical Research Council (MRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 03/2020 
End 03/2024
 
Description C-type lectins in antifungal immunity
Amount £2,275,853 (GBP)
Funding ID 217163/Z/19/Z 
Organisation Wellcome Trust 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2020 
End 02/2024
 
Description Carolina Coelho - An investigation into the role of the endothelial glycocalyx in the invasion of the brain by cryptococcus neoformans
Amount £6,720 (GBP)
Organisation Northcott Devon Medical Foundation 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 08/2021 
End 08/2023
 
Description Carolina Coelho - Dynamics of brain invasion by the pathogenic fungus Cryptococcus
Amount £100,000 (GBP)
Funding ID SBF006/1024 
Organisation Academy of Medical Sciences (AMS) 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 07/2021 
End 07/2023
 
Description Chemigenetic analysis and efficacy of novel antifungal drugs that target fungal pH signalling
Amount £532,867 (GBP)
Funding ID BB/V017004/1 
Organisation Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 07/2021 
End 06/2024
 
Description Dr Rhys Farrer - MRC Clinical Research Infrastructure funding Oxford Nanopore minigrant project
Amount £1,970 (GBP)
Organisation University of Exeter 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 02/2020 
End 01/2022
 
Description Effectors of tissue invasion in Aspergillus fumigatus, the major fungal pathogen of human lungs
Amount £613,140 (GBP)
Funding ID MR/S001824/1 
Organisation Medical Research Council (MRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2018 
End 07/2020
 
Description Elaine Bignell - Gilead 2: live cell imaging movies
Amount £143,177 (GBP)
Organisation Gilead Sciences, Inc. 
Sector Private
Country United States
Start 07/2021 
End 07/2022
 
Description Fluconazole plus flucytosine vs fluconazole alone for cryptococcal antigen-positive patients identified through screening: A randomised trial
Amount £4,572,842 (GBP)
Funding ID MR/V005731/1 
Organisation Medical Research Council (MRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 03/2021 
End 03/2025
 
Description Fungal colonization of voice-prosthesis biofilms and its use as a predictor of device longevity in total-laryngectomy patients
Amount £1,800 (GBP)
Organisation British Mycological Society 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 05/2020 
End 09/2020
 
Description Governance of anti-fungal immunity by the pulmonary tissue environment
Amount £1,058,934 (GBP)
Funding ID 218550/Z/19/Z 
Organisation Wellcome Trust 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 03/2020 
End 04/2025
 
Description IMPACT OF FUNGAL ADAPTATION UPON HOST RECOGNITION AND PATHOGENESIS
Amount £857,701 (GBP)
Funding ID MR/M026663/2 
Organisation Medical Research Council (MRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 08/2019 
End 07/2022
 
Description Investigating microbial predation as a driver of endosymbiosis and phagocyte evasion
Amount £797,806 (GBP)
Funding ID BB/W002760/1 
Organisation Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 03/2022 
End 09/2025
 
Description Jane Usher - Combatting resistance to combinatorial stress and macrophage killing in Candida glabrata
Amount £405,539 (GBP)
Funding ID BB/W009625/1 
Organisation Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 03/2022 
End 03/2025
 
Description Liliane Mukaremera - Roles of Cryptococcus cell wall dynamics during infection and antifungal drug resistance
Amount £98,152 (GBP)
Organisation Academy of Medical Sciences (AMS) 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 05/2021 
End 05/2023
 
Description MRC Centre for Medical Mycology Interdisciplinary Research Projects
Amount £10,000 (GBP)
Organisation Medical Research Council (MRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 03/2021 
End 10/2021
 
Description MRC Festival of Medical Research 2020
Amount £1,500 (GBP)
Organisation Medical Research Council (MRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 02/2020 
End 07/2020
 
Description Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology
Amount £1,662,920 (GBP)
Funding ID MR/V033417/1 
Organisation Medical Research Council (MRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 06/2021 
End 06/2026
 
Description Neil Gow's Gilead's Investigator Sponsored Research (ISR) Program
Amount £352,153 (GBP)
Organisation Gilead Sciences, Inc. 
Sector Private
Country United States
Start 05/2021 
End 06/2024
 
Description Real time responses to antifungal drugs: A microfluidics-assisted confocal approach
Amount £140,000 (GBP)
Organisation Gilead Sciences, Inc. 
Sector Private
Country United States
Start 06/2021 
End 09/2022
 
Description Summer Student Bursary
Amount £1,800 (GBP)
Organisation British Mycological Society 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 06/2021 
End 09/2021
 
Description Summer Student Bursary
Amount £1,850 (GBP)
Organisation British Mycological Society 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 05/2021 
End 08/2021
 
Description Tackling Emerging Co-Infections
Amount £200,000 (GBP)
Organisation Medical Research Council (MRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2021 
End 12/2023
 
Description Understanding and mitigating the impact of emerging antifungal resistance
Amount £2,200,879 (GBP)
Funding ID 219551/Z/19/Z 
Organisation Wellcome Trust 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 03/2020 
End 06/2024
 
Description Understanding invasive fungal growth mechanisms by mathematical modelling
Amount £10,000 (GBP)
Organisation Wellcome Trust 
Department Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Fund
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 03/2021 
End 09/2021
 
Description Wellcome Trust Collaborative Award
Amount £2,145,376 (GBP)
Funding ID Z19551/Z/19/Z 
Organisation Imperial College London 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 06/2021 
End 06/2025
 
Description World Class Capital Funding - Spectral Cell Sorter BIGFOOT at the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology
Amount £567,000 (GBP)
Organisation Medical Research Council (MRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2020 
End 03/2021
 
Title Carolina Coelho: Image extracellular vesicles - Innovation in stain and microscopy for live-imaging of secreted vesicles 
Description New research tool/method to image extracellular vesicles. Innovation in stain and microscopy for live-imaging of secreted vesicles. Published detailed protocol https://cn.bio-protocol.org/cn/e3502. Associated publication on biological insights: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002192582038858X. 
Type Of Material Physiological assessment or outcome measure 
Year Produced 2019 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact Published protocol is widely available now at https://cn.bio-protocol.org/cn/e3502 
URL https://cn.bio-protocol.org/cn/e3502
 
Title GCaMP calcium reporter in Candida albicans 
Description A genetically encoded calcium flux and homeostasis reporter for live-cell imaging in single cells. We have developed image analysis software to quantify the output from the reporter. 
Type Of Material Technology assay or reagent 
Year Produced 2019 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact This codon-optimised reporter allows the dissection of calcium homeostasis mechanisms in Candida albicans for the first time. We have used it alongside our new software to evaluate the contribution of signalling pathways in stress responses. 
 
Title Rhys Farrer - new research tool called HaplotypeTools 
Description MRC CMM Principal Investigator Dr Rhys Farrer has made a new research tool called HaplotypeTools (available at https://github.com/rhysf/HaplotypeTools, licensed under the MIT license). The article describing the software in published in BMC Bioinformatics 2021 (https://bmcbioinformatics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12859-021-04473-1). 
Type Of Material Technology assay or reagent 
Year Produced 2021 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact HaplotypeTools is a set of tools that can phase DNAseq data into haplotypes for the purposes of identifying recombination (crossovers between samples), identifying parental isolates or clades, or various population genetic tests. The tools require BioPerl and Bio::DB::HTS modules (installed via cpan or cpanm.). Inputs are Samtools indexed BAM, VCF, and reference FASTA. 
URL https://github.com/rhysf/HaplotypeTools
 
Title Mathematical model on Pneumocystis metabolism 
Description As part of the collaboration with Gencovery, I have been beta-testing new, confidential software being developed by Gencovery for metabolic modelling. An access to this new software has helped me to develop a mathematical model on Pneumocystis metabolism. 
Type Of Material Computer model/algorithm 
Year Produced 2021 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact Mathematical model on Pneumocystis metabolism allowed us to make predictions regarding the medium conditions favourable for in vitro growth of the pathogen. 
 
Description AFRICA Unit at the University of Cape Town 
Organisation University of Cape Town
Country South Africa 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Our CMM AFRICA Medical Mycology Unit in South Africa, in conjunction with the University of Cape Town (UCT), is the world's first international research centre for tackling fungal infections. The CMM AFRICA Medical Mycology Unit is based at UCT's Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, headed by Professor Valerie Mizrahi and it will give our experts a centre of operations in Africa where they can work in collaboration with UCT experts to establish research programmes that can target the priority areas in fungal diseases that are relevant to the continent. The development supports our ongoing objectives and activities and it also builds on an existing Wellcome Trust-funded Strategic Award (led by the Aberdeen Fungal Group), where PhD students from low and middle-income nations (including Africa) are trained in Aberdeen and other medical mycology Centres in the rest of the UK. Upon obtaining their degree, these students then return home with their new skills to help address critical fungal research and training needs in their own countries.
Collaborator Contribution The major burden of serious invasive fungal infection is borne by low and middle income countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where around 50% of people diagnosed with invasive fungal infections die as a result of the infection. To address this issue, the Universities of Exeter and Cape Town (UCT) have joined forces to create the world's first international research centre for tackling fungal infections; the AFRICA CMM Unit, which opened in Cape Town in August 2017. The University of Exeter AFRICA CMM Unit, directed by Professor Gordon Brown, is based at UCT's Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, headed by Professor Valerie Mizrahi, and will give our experts a centre of operations in Africa where they can work in collaboration with UCT experts to establish research programmes that can target the priority areas in fungal diseases that are relevant to the African continent.
Impact The AFRICA CMM Unit was officially opened on 11th August 2017. The overall main of the Centre is to provide a hub for collaborative research and training programmes (between the MRC CMM/ and South Africa) that will increase capacity in South Africa and more widely across Africa, to target the priority areas in fungal disease. The programmes will involve MRC CMM Principal Investigators and researchers running workshops for basic and clinical researchers at UCT and potentially exchange of PhD students and researchers.
Start Year 2017
 
Description Collaboration Claire Hoving and Rachel Dangarembizi, CMM AFRICA Unit, University of Cape Town 
Organisation University of Cape Town
Country South Africa 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Collaboration between Claire Hoving and Rachel Dangarembizi at CMM AFRICA Unit, University of Cape Town with a BSc honours and MSc student working on Cryptococcus
Collaborator Contribution Collaborative research and student training and supervision
Impact None yet
Start Year 2021
 
Description Collaboration with Cape Town University 
Organisation University of Cape Town
Country South Africa 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution We have provided unique insights into the metabolism of Pneumocystis predicted by the metabolic model we developed.
Collaborator Contribution University of Cape Town provides me with the requisite training in Pneumocystis laboratory and molecular biology - essential skills that I have to develop to execute the project.
Impact University of Cape Town has provided me with the requisite training in Pneumocystis laboratory and molecular biology as well as has helped me to set up the experiments that are essential for my project.
Start Year 2021
 
Description Collaboration with Chad Rappleye, Ohio State University, USA 
Organisation Ohio State University
Country United States 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Collaboration Dr Duncan Wilson with Prof Chad Rappleye, Ohio State University, USA, to perform Histoplasma capsulatum growth assays.
Collaborator Contribution Collaborative research to perform Histoplasma capsulatum growth assays.
Impact None yet
Start Year 2020
 
Description Collaboration with Dan Bebber, University of Exeter 
Organisation University of Exeter
Department College of Life and Environmental Sciences
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Collaboration Dr Duncan Wilson with Dr Dan Bebber, University of Exeter, looking at connections between soil acidity and fungal endemicity.
Collaborator Contribution Collaborative research looking at connections between soil acidity and fungal endemicity.
Impact None yet
Start Year 2020
 
Description Collaboration with Dominic Campopiano, University of Edinburgh 
Organisation University of Edinburgh
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Collaboration between Dr Alex Brand and Prof Chris Thornton at the MRC CMM with Dominic Campopiano at the University of Edinburgh, in the project entitled 'Investigation of the susceptibility of Candida auris to the fungal secondary metabolite, myriocin'. This project has been undertaken by MRes student Larissa John for 12 weeks during the 1st year of her MRes-PhD studentship at the MRC CMM.
Collaborator Contribution Collaborative research and student training within the project entitled 'Investigation of the susceptibility of Candida auris to the fungal secondary metabolite, myriocin'.
Impact None yet
Start Year 2020
 
Description Collaboration with Eva Pericolini (Modena) and Francesco de Seta and Manol Comara at the Gynaecology Department, Burlo Garofolo Hospital (Trieste). 
Organisation IRCCS Burlo Garofolo
Country Italy 
Sector Hospitals 
PI Contribution MRC CMM members Drs Duncan Wilson and Elena Roselletti (PDRA in Wilson Lab with previous clinical experience) have established a new collaboration with an already established collaborator (Eva Pericolini, Modena, vaginal candidiasis mouse model), and with Francesco de Seta and Manol Comara at the Gynaecology Department, Burlo Garofolo Hospital, Trieste.
Collaborator Contribution Collaborators have provided clinical samples from which we have shown in vivo PRA1 expression and a correlation between PRA1 expression and levels of proinflammatory cytokines in women.
Impact None yet
Start Year 2021
 
Description Collaboration with Eva Pericolini (Modena) and Francesco de Seta and Manol Comara at the Gynaecology Department, Burlo Garofolo Hospital (Trieste). 
Organisation University Hospital Policlinico of Modena
Country Italy 
Sector Hospitals 
PI Contribution MRC CMM members Drs Duncan Wilson and Elena Roselletti (PDRA in Wilson Lab with previous clinical experience) have established a new collaboration with an already established collaborator (Eva Pericolini, Modena, vaginal candidiasis mouse model), and with Francesco de Seta and Manol Comara at the Gynaecology Department, Burlo Garofolo Hospital, Trieste.
Collaborator Contribution Collaborators have provided clinical samples from which we have shown in vivo PRA1 expression and a correlation between PRA1 expression and levels of proinflammatory cytokines in women.
Impact None yet
Start Year 2021
 
Description Collaboration with Gencovery on metabolic modelling 
Organisation Gencovery
Country France 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution We have provided unique insights into the biology of Pneumocystis that are essential for our collaborative metabolic modelling, which aims to improve human health worldwide.
Collaborator Contribution Gencovery provides me with the requisite training in bioinformatics, metabolic modelling, and flux balance analysis - essential skills that I have to develop to execute the project.
Impact Gencovery has provided me with essential training in bioinformatics and metabolic modelling, which has resulted in: 1. A reviewed and refined genome annotation of the Pneumocystis murina genome 2. A reconstructed network on Pneumocystis murina metabolism 3. A developed mathematical model on Pneumocystis murina metabolism 4. Predictions regarding the culture medium conditions favourable for Pneumocystis murina growth in vitro
Start Year 2020
 
Description Collaboration with Hiroji Chibana (Chiba) 
Organisation Chiba University
Department Medical Mycology Research Center
Country Japan 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Phenotypic analysis of Candida glabrata mutants
Collaborator Contribution Provision of Candida glabrata mutants
Impact None as yet
Start Year 2020
 
Description Collaboration with Jo Rhodes, Imperial College London 
Organisation Imperial College London
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Collaboration between Dr Rhys Farrer and Duncan Wilson at the MRC CMM with Dr Jo Rhodes, Imperial College London, in the project entitled 'Global genomic epidemiology of the human fungal pathogen Candida auris'. This project has been undertaken by MRes student Hugh Gifford for 12 weeks during the 1st year of his MRes-PhD studentship at the MRC CMM
Collaborator Contribution Collaborative research and student training within the project entitled 'Global genomic epidemiology of the human fungal pathogen Candida auris'.
Impact None yet
Start Year 2020
 
Description Collaboration with Kirsten Nielsen, University of Minesota 
Organisation University of Minnesota
Country United States 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Collaboration between Dr Liliane Mukaremera at the MRC CMM and Dr Kirsten Nielsen at the University of Minesota, in the project entitled 'Impact of antifungal treatment on cell wall synthesis in drug resistant and sensitive C. neoformans strains'. This project has been undertaken by MRes student Daniel Jones for 12 weeks during the 1st year of his MRes-PhD studentship at the MRC CMM.
Collaborator Contribution Collaborative research and student training within the project entitled 'Impact of antifungal treatment on cell wall synthesis in drug resistant and sensitive C. neoformans strains'.
Impact None yet
Start Year 2020
 
Description Collaboration with Markus Ralser (Berlin) 
Organisation Charité - University of Medicine Berlin
Country Germany 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Phenotypic analysis of Candida glabrata mutants
Collaborator Contribution Proteomic analysis of Candida glabrata mutants
Impact None as yet
Start Year 2020
 
Description Collaboration with Nelesh Govender, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Johannesburg, SA 
Organisation National Institute for Communicable Diseases
Country South Africa 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution Collaboration Dr Duncan Wilson with Dr Nelesh Govender, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Johannesburg, SA, to identify which South African regions' soil harbours Histoplasma capsulatum.
Collaborator Contribution Collaborative research to identify which South African regions' soil harbours Histoplasma capsulatum
Impact None yet
Start Year 2020
 
Description Collaboration with Orly Razgour (University of Exeter), Erin Landguth (Montana), Julie Betsch (Montana), and Casey Day (Montana) 
Organisation University of Exeter
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution MRC CMM members Drs Duncan Wilson and Rhys Farrer has established a new collaboration with Orly Razgour (Exeter), Erin Landguth (Montana), Julie Betsch (Montana), and Casey Day (Montana) to use landscape genomics to study bats and their two associated fungal pathogens, Histoplasma capsulatum and Pseudogymnoascus destructans.
Collaborator Contribution Collaborative research and new grant applications to use landscape genomics to study bats and their two associated fungal pathogens, Histoplasma capsulatum and Pseudogymnoascus destructans.
Impact It has been submitted a National Science Foundation - Ecology of Infectious Disease grant ($2,578,616). They found out on the 15th of February that it was unsuccessful. However, the overall reviewers' comments were very encouraging, and there are plans to resubmit in November 2022.
Start Year 2021
 
Description Collaboration with Orly Razgour (University of Exeter), Erin Landguth (Montana), Julie Betsch (Montana), and Casey Day (Montana) 
Organisation University of Montana
Country United States 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution MRC CMM members Drs Duncan Wilson and Rhys Farrer has established a new collaboration with Orly Razgour (Exeter), Erin Landguth (Montana), Julie Betsch (Montana), and Casey Day (Montana) to use landscape genomics to study bats and their two associated fungal pathogens, Histoplasma capsulatum and Pseudogymnoascus destructans.
Collaborator Contribution Collaborative research and new grant applications to use landscape genomics to study bats and their two associated fungal pathogens, Histoplasma capsulatum and Pseudogymnoascus destructans.
Impact It has been submitted a National Science Foundation - Ecology of Infectious Disease grant ($2,578,616). They found out on the 15th of February that it was unsuccessful. However, the overall reviewers' comments were very encouraging, and there are plans to resubmit in November 2022.
Start Year 2021
 
Description Collaboration with Orly Razgour, University of Exeter 
Organisation University of Exeter
Department College of Life and Environmental Sciences
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Collaboration Dr Duncan Wilson and Dr Orly Razgour, University of Exeter, studying how bats act as vectors for Histoplasma capsulatum.
Collaborator Contribution Collaborative research studying how bats act as vectors for Histoplasma capsulatum.
Impact None yet
Start Year 2020
 
Description Collaboration with Rachael Dangarembizi (CMM AFRICA Unit-University of Cape Town) 
Organisation University of Cape Town
Department Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine (IIDMM)
Country South Africa 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Collaboration Dr Liliane Mukaremera (MRC CMM, University of Exeter) and Dr. Rachael Dangarembizi (CMM AFRICA Unit-University of Cape Town) entitled: "A characterisation of the neuroinflammatory effects of cell wall and capsular fractions of Cryptococcus neoformans in a mouse organotypic brain slice culture system".
Collaborator Contribution Research data and results, samples and knowledge exchange throughout the project entitled: "A characterisation of the neuroinflammatory effects of cell wall and capsular fractions of Cryptococcus neoformans in a mouse organotypic brain slice culture system".
Impact None yet
Start Year 2020
 
Description Collaboration with Renátó Kovács and László Majoros, University of Debrecen, Hungary 
Organisation University of Debrecen
Country Hungary 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution New collaboration Dr Andy Borman and the University of Debrecen, Hungary, studying Candida auris and novel antifungal strategies.
Collaborator Contribution Collaborative research on the project 'Candida auris and novel antifungal strategies'.
Impact Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(2), 771; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22020771
Start Year 2021
 
Description Collaboration with Tetsu Kudoh (Biosciences Dept. University of Exeter) 
Organisation University of Exeter
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution MRC CMM members Drs Duncan Wilson and Mark Ramsdale's collaboration with Tetsu Kudoh (Biosciences Dept. University of Exeter) on the research project and NC3R grant using Killifish for infection models
Collaborator Contribution Collaborative research on the project and NC3R grant using Killifish for infection models
Impact none yet
Start Year 2021
 
Description Collaboration with Tulane University on Pneumocystis 
Organisation Tulane University
Country United States 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution A unique opportunity to work on the project which aims to improve human health worldwide has been provided.
Collaborator Contribution RNA-Seq data has kindly been provided by my partner at Tulane, which contributed to my process of reviewing and refining the genome annotation for Pneumocystis murina
Impact RNA-Seq data has been provided, which contributed to the process of reviewing and refining the genome annotation for Pneumocystis murina.
Start Year 2020
 
Description Collaboration with Wolfram Moebius and David Richards, Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter 
Organisation University of Exeter
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution New collaboration of Alex Brand with Wolfram Moebius and David Richards, LSI - University of Exeter, working on quantitative image analysis of pathogenic hyphal growth.
Collaborator Contribution Collaborative research on the topic quantitative image analysis of pathogenic hyphal growth.
Impact None yet
Start Year 2020
 
Description Development of Arabian killifish as an infection model 
Organisation University of Exeter
Department Biosciences
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Our team used skills acquired through using a zebra-fish model of infection to undertake preliminary pathogenesis experiments in Arabian killifish embryos, where we are assisting with the development of this as a more relevant model of human infection, ie at human body temperature.
Collaborator Contribution The partner provided killifish embryos and technical expertise gained during developmental research to allow us to jointly develop this infection model.
Impact The preliminary data we have supplied has been submitted to the NC3Rs by our collaborators, in order to develop the model by generating fluorescent immune cell reporters and disease-mimicking mutant strains (eg cystic fibrosis).
Start Year 2021
 
Description Investigation of fungal polarisome components 
Organisation Braunschweig University of Technology
Country Germany 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution I provided the laboratory, strain collection access and expertise for working with Candida albicans.
Collaborator Contribution The partner provided lab staff, mutant strains and microscopy expertise.
Impact The partners have generated material and figures for publications in which each will share co-authorship.
Start Year 2021
 
Description Modelling of intracellular calcium dynamics in Candida albicans 
Organisation University of Exeter
Department Living Systems Institute
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution I provided the imaging data and the biological background to the project.
Collaborator Contribution The partners provided the mathematical modelling to explain the cell behaviour we observe.
Impact This is a multidisciplinary collaboration, combining biology, maths, computer modelling and image analysis tools.
Start Year 2021
 
Description Partnership with Mihai Netea at Radboud University, Nijmegen on fungal immunology 
Organisation Radboud University Nijmegen
Country Netherlands 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution We collaborated on understanding the nature of the cell wall in activating the antifiungal immune response
Collaborator Contribution Provides immunological input, assay development and shared a range of reagents
Impact Bruno, M., Kersten S., Bain, J.M., Jaeger, M., Kruppa, M.D., Lowman, D.W., Zuchaom M., Ning Jiao Y. , Chowdhary, A., Renieris, G., van de Veerdonk, F.L., Kullberg, B-J, Giamarellos-Bourboulis, E.J., Hoischen, A., Gow, N.A.R.,. Brown, A.J.P., Meis, J.F., Williams, D.L., Netea, M.G. (2020). Host immune response against the emerging fungal pathogen Candida auris: transcriptional and functional insights. Nature Microbiology https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-020-0780-3. PMID: 32839538 no PMCID; https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-020-0780-3 Bain, J.M. , Alonso, F., Childers, D.S., Walls, C.A., Mackenzie, K., Pradhan, A., Lewis, L.E., Louw, J, Avelar, J.M., Larcombe, D.E., Netea, M.E., , Gow, N.A.R., Brown, G.D., Erwig, L.P. and Brown, A.J.P. (2021). Immune cells fold and damage fungal hyphae. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA 118 No. 15 e2020484118. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2020484118. PMID: 33876755; PMCID: PMC8053999 Schaefer, K., Dambuza, I.M., Dall'angelo, S., Yuecel, R., Jaspars, M., Trembleau, L., Zanda, M., Brown, G.D., Adema, G.J., Netea, M.G., & Gow, N.A.R. (2020). The mammalian immune system is less able to respond to peptides containing rare amino acids that are found in meteorites. Microorganisms 8, 1066; doi:10.3390/microorganisms8071066. Childers, D.A., Mol Avelar, G., Bain, J.M., Pradhan, A., Larcombe, D.E., Netea, M.G., Erwig, L.P., Gow, N.A.R., & Brown, A.J.P. (2020). Epitope shaving promotes fungal immune evasion. MBio 11:e00984-20. https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio .00984-20. PMID: 32636248; PMCID: PMC7343991 Pradhan, A., Avelar, G.M. , Bain, J.M., Childers, D., Pelletier, C., Larcombe, D.E., Shekhova, E., Netea, M.G., Brown, G.D., Erwig, L.P., Gow, N.A.R, & Brown, A.J.P. (2019). Non-canonical signalling mediates changes in fungal cell wall PAMPs that drive immune evasion. Nature Communications 10(1), 1-14. PMID: 31757950; PMCID: PMC6876565 Ifrim D.C., Quintin, J., Courjol, F., Verschuerer, I., Frieken, J Han van, Fradin, C. Gow, N.A.R., van Joosten, L.A.B, van der Meer, J.W.M., van der Veerdonk.& Netea, M.G. (2015). The role of dectin-2 for host defense against disseminated candidiasis. Journal of Interferon and Cytokine Research 36(4):267-76. PMID: 24343653; PMCID: PMC3957982
Start Year 2006
 
Description PhD Project Collaboration (2019 - 2022) 
Organisation University of Aberdeen
Department Institute of Medical Sciences
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Professor Neil Gow (main supervisor, MRC CMM) is collaborating with Prof Carol Munro (co-supervisor, University of Aberdeen) on a MRC CMM PhD studentship titled "Drug induced tolerance mechanisms: a driver for fungal persistence?". Additionally, Prof Gordon Brown (MRC CMM) is also a collaborator on this project. The PhD student, Mark Peacock, will do his PhD research on a project that addresses Research Priorities (i) and (iii) and Research Themes 1,2 and 4 with the MRC CMM. Together, these studies will define a detailed picture of the evolution of echinocandin resistance and will provide fundamental new information about fungal adaptation to antibiotic pressure, as well as informing healthcare guidelines about the clinical consequences of echinocandin treatment.
Collaborator Contribution The PhD project is focussed on gaining a better understanding of Antimicrobial Resistance mechanisms in a major fungal pathogen C. albicans. The project will investigate cell wall mediated drug tolerance mechanisms and examine immune responses to chitin-high cells. It will combine fungal cell biology and genomics with fungal immunity and in vivo infection models. Prof Carol Munro will contribute her knowledge of fungal cell wall biosynthesis and fungal:drug interactions, and C. albicans overexpression strains that will used in the PhD project to dissect the impact of individual changes at the cell surface in comparison with cell wall alterations induced by echinocandin treatment. Prof Neil Gow brings expertise in cell wall, fungal:host interactions, fungal immunity. He will provide the following resources to the project: cell wall glycosylation mutants that lack specific mannose linkages in the outer glycoshield and Fc-lectin probes. The translational potential of these studies will be explored by assessing the potency of treatments that simultaneously target cell wall biosynthesis and block the activation of compensatory pathways as combination therapies. These experimental methods have the potential to discover synthetically cidal combinations of small molecule inhibitors that could reduce the problems of induced drug resistance and increase the potency of existing antifungal drugs.
Impact No outcomes yet. During the course of this PhD project results and data will generated by the student to complete and defend a PhD and produce at least 1-2 peer reviewed papers. The student will present data from this project at national conferences and meetings and at least one international conference. The student will also present findings from this project at MRC CMM laboratory meetings and University of Exeter and University of Aberdeen organised events for PhD students.
Start Year 2019
 
Description PhD Project Collaboration (2019- 2022) 
Organisation TC BioPharm Limited
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution Professor Carol Munro (main supervisor, University of Aberdeen) is collaborating with Prof Gordon Brown (co-supervisor, MRC CMM) on a MRC CMM PhD studentship titled "Development of Aspergillus cell surface-targeting antibodies as novel theranostics". Additionally, Dr Mike Leek (TC Biopharm Ltd) is also a collaborator on this project. With this reserach, the PhD student, Dr Tyng Hwey Tan, will address the main MRC CMM research priorities ((i) the need for robust, rapid, simple and cheaper diagnostics; and (ii) the need for safer and more effective antifungal drugs; and may in the future contribure to (iii) the need for better understanding of fungal virulence and host antifungal immunity).
Collaborator Contribution We have combined over 20 years of research knowledge from Prof Munro's fungal pathogen research group, University of Aberdeen and antibody engineering expertise of the Scottish Biologics Facility to develop a targeted approach for isolating antibodies that bind fungal specific peptide epitopes exposed on the pathogen cell surface. As proof of concept we have isolated over 60 unique human antibodies, selected for their ability to target one of three fungal-specific cell wall proteins of C. albicans. These antibodies were selected from a screen of the McCafferty Human naïve phage display antibody library. A selection of the phage antibodies have been reformatted and expressed as human single chain antibodies (scAbs) in E. coli and as full murine IgG2 monoclonal antibodies. Two lead mAbs, specific for 2 different peptide targets, were able to protect mice from systemic candidiasis with kidney fungal burdens significantly decreased compared to saline controls and reduction in fungal burdens was comparable to caspofungin treatment. We have a proven and successful pipeline, which we will now apply to develop Aspergillus-specific antibodies, where there is substantial commercial interests ( Prof Munro has a consultancy with Atara Biotherapeutics and seed-funding to develop this novel class of biologics-based therapeutics).
Impact No outcomes yet. During the course of this PhD project results and data will generated by the student to complete and defend a PhD and produce at least 1-2 peer reviewed papers. The student will present data from this project at national conferences and meetings and at least one international conference. The student will also present findings from this project at MRC CMM laboratory meetings and University of Exeter and University of Aberdeen organised events for PhD students.
Start Year 2019
 
Description PhD Project Collaboration (2019- 2022) 
Organisation University of Aberdeen
Department Institute of Medical Sciences
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Professor Carol Munro (main supervisor, University of Aberdeen) is collaborating with Prof Gordon Brown (co-supervisor, MRC CMM) on a MRC CMM PhD studentship titled "Development of Aspergillus cell surface-targeting antibodies as novel theranostics". Additionally, Dr Mike Leek (TC Biopharm Ltd) is also a collaborator on this project. With this reserach, the PhD student, Dr Tyng Hwey Tan, will address the main MRC CMM research priorities ((i) the need for robust, rapid, simple and cheaper diagnostics; and (ii) the need for safer and more effective antifungal drugs; and may in the future contribure to (iii) the need for better understanding of fungal virulence and host antifungal immunity).
Collaborator Contribution We have combined over 20 years of research knowledge from Prof Munro's fungal pathogen research group, University of Aberdeen and antibody engineering expertise of the Scottish Biologics Facility to develop a targeted approach for isolating antibodies that bind fungal specific peptide epitopes exposed on the pathogen cell surface. As proof of concept we have isolated over 60 unique human antibodies, selected for their ability to target one of three fungal-specific cell wall proteins of C. albicans. These antibodies were selected from a screen of the McCafferty Human naïve phage display antibody library. A selection of the phage antibodies have been reformatted and expressed as human single chain antibodies (scAbs) in E. coli and as full murine IgG2 monoclonal antibodies. Two lead mAbs, specific for 2 different peptide targets, were able to protect mice from systemic candidiasis with kidney fungal burdens significantly decreased compared to saline controls and reduction in fungal burdens was comparable to caspofungin treatment. We have a proven and successful pipeline, which we will now apply to develop Aspergillus-specific antibodies, where there is substantial commercial interests ( Prof Munro has a consultancy with Atara Biotherapeutics and seed-funding to develop this novel class of biologics-based therapeutics).
Impact No outcomes yet. During the course of this PhD project results and data will generated by the student to complete and defend a PhD and produce at least 1-2 peer reviewed papers. The student will present data from this project at national conferences and meetings and at least one international conference. The student will also present findings from this project at MRC CMM laboratory meetings and University of Exeter and University of Aberdeen organised events for PhD students.
Start Year 2019
 
Description PhD project collaboration with Edward Wallace, University of Edinburgh 
Organisation University of Edinburgh
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Collaboration between Dr Elizabeth Ballou at the MRC CMM with Dr Edward Wallace at the University of Edinburgh in the PhD project entitled 'Molecular mechanisms regulating the yeast-to-titan switch in Cryptococcus neoformans'. This project has been undertaken by PhD student Daniel Jones during his three year PhD project as part of his studentship at the MRC CMM.
Collaborator Contribution Collaborative research and student training and supervision within the project entitled 'Molecular mechanisms regulating the yeast-to-titan switch in Cryptococcus neoformans'.
Impact None yet
Start Year 2021
 
Description PhD project collaboration with Jo Rhodes, Imperial College London 
Organisation Imperial College London
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Collaboration between Dr Rhys Farrer and Duncan Wilson at the MRC CMM with Dr Jo Rhodes, Imperial College London, in the PhD project entitled 'Determining the origins of Candida auris from experimental, epidemiological and ecological investigations'. This project has been undertaken by PhD student Hugh Gifford during his three year PhD project as part of his studentship at the MRC CMM.
Collaborator Contribution Collaborative research and student training and supervision within the project entitled 'Determining the origins of Candida auris from experimental, epidemiological and ecological investigations'.
Impact None yet
Start Year 2021
 
Description PhD project collaboration with Mike Bromley and Sara Gago, University of Manchester 
Organisation University of Manchester
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Collaboration between Dr Peter Cook at the MRC CMM with Drs Mike Bromley and Sara Gago at the University of Manchester, in the PhD project entitled 'Defining the precise fungal motifs that elicit pulmonary immunity'. This project has been undertaken by PhD student Daniel Conn during his three year PhD project as part of his studentship at the MRC CMM.
Collaborator Contribution Collaborative research and student training and supervision within the project entitled 'Defining the precise fungal motifs that elicit pulmonary immunity'.
Impact None yet
Start Year 2021
 
Description Sealing and Healing: The molecular basis of plasma membrane repair in fungi 
Organisation Braunschweig University of Technology
Country Germany 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution My lab hosted a post-doctoral researcher from Braunschweig for 6 months and allowed access to our collection of mutant strains, our expertise and microscope facilities available for his use.
Collaborator Contribution The partners provided a post-doctoral researcher to undertake a research project, who brought expertise and new reporter strains to the lab.
Impact New mutant and reporter strains have been generated. A paper is being written reporting the conclusions of the study. A poster describing the work will be presented at an international conference in the US in March 2022. Further work in a longer-term collaboration is being planned.
Start Year 2021
 
Description The filamentous growth of fungal killers: a combined mathematics and lab approach 
Organisation University of Exeter
Department Living Systems Institute
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Input from my research team is molecular biology and live-cell imaging of mutants and reporter strains. These data will be provided to the mathematical modellers.
Collaborator Contribution The mathematicians will develop models of the how and why changes in intracellular organisation correlate with the ability of fungi to invade human tissue.
Impact A PhD studentship has been awarded and a student hired to work on this multi-disciplinary project that encompasses biosciences, physics and mathematical modelling.
Start Year 2021
 
Title Chris Thornton: Trade mark number UK00003498611 - Lateral Flow Device; Lateral Flow Assay; Lateral Flow Test; In vitro diagnostic preparations for medical use 
Description Prof Chris Thornton: Trade mark number UK00003498611 - Lateral Flow Device; Lateral Flow Assay; Lateral Flow Test; In vitro diagnostic preparations for medical use. Filing date 09 June 2020. 
IP Reference  
Protection Trade Mark
Year Protection Granted 2020
Licensed No
Impact None yet
 
Title Chris Thornton: Trademarks EU018319508/018319499 - Lateral Flow Device; Lateral Flow Assay; Lateral Flow Test; In vitro diagnostic preparations for medical use 
Description Prof Chris Thornton: Trademarks EU018319508/018319499. The word marks Afu-ELISA® and Afu-LFD® [UK00003498611 and EU018319508/018319499] are protected by ISCA Diagnostics Ltd. through the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). 
IP Reference  
Protection Trade Mark
Year Protection Granted 2020
Licensed No
Impact None yet. Publication accepted at https://dx.doi.org/10.3390%2Fjof7010019.
 
Title Thomas Harrison: Ambition-CM trial, pioneering clinical use of single, high-dose Ambisome with an oral therapy backbone for therapy of cryptococcal meningitis 
Description The Phase III clinical trial (AMBITION-cm) is the largest clinical trial for HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis ever to be conducted. Recruitment of 850 participants will conclude in early 2021. A number of other activities run alongside the trial, including economic cost-effectiveness analyses, laboratory-based sub-studies and capacity building events. AMNET (African Meningitis Network) has been established to provide a solid framework to facilitate future clinical trials to investigate urgently-needed novel treatments and diagnostics strategies aimed at reducing the morbidity and mortality due to meningitis in Africa. AMNET will continue to develop well after the conclusion of AMBITION. AMBITION is co-ordinated by The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK 
Type Management of Diseases and Conditions
Current Stage Of Development Late clinical evaluation
Year Development Stage Completed 2021
Development Status Under active development/distribution
Clinical Trial? Yes
Impact No impacts yet 
URL https://blogs.lshtm.ac.uk/ambition/
 
Title Tihana Bicanic: Chief Investigator on a multi-centre UK study of aspergillosis complicating severe influenza and COVID19 infection (AspiFlu) 
Description This is an observational study which means that the care and treatments patients receive will not be any different whether they decide to take part or not. A set of research blood tests will be taken once patients are enrolled into the study and once more 5-10 days later if the patient is still on ICU. If the clinical team feel a bronchoscopy is indicated as part of routine clinical care the study group will take a sample of surplus bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and/or store any leftover samples. A bronchoscopy will not be performed or delayed for the purpose of this study. After the flu season is over these stored blood and BAL samples will be tested using both galactomannan and the AspLFD to compare how well both tests perform in diagnosing invasive aspergillosis. Since this will occur after the flu season the results of this testing will not influence the treatment of those enrolled. In addition to the samples that will be taken and stored, the researchers will collect clinical information from the participants' medical notes until their discharge from hospital or 90 days, whichever is the latest. 
Type Management of Diseases and Conditions
Current Stage Of Development Early clinical assessment
Year Development Stage Completed 2021
Development Status Under active development/distribution
Impact The main objective of the study is to assess what proportion of critically ill patients with severe influenza develop invasive aspergillosis (IA), and what factors increase the risk of this happening. The study will also look at whether those that do develop IA are more likely to have a prolonged ICU admission or die. Hypothesis: Evidence of invasive aspergillosis (IA) will be found in a significant proportion of ICU patients with severe influenza - comparable to the 20% found in recent retrospective studies. Added 26/03/2020: The incidence of IA will also be evaluated in a comparison group of critically ill patients with COVID-19. This may illuminate whether IA is an influenza-specific phenomenon, or should be considered in any critically unwell patient with viral pneumonia. Hypothesis: The incidence of IA in ICU patients with COVID-19 will be lower. 
URL https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN51287266
 
Title HaplotypeTools 
Description Dr Rhys Farrer has made a new research tool called HaplotypeTools (available at https://github.com/rhysf/HaplotypeTools, licensed under the MIT license). HaplotypeTools is a set of tools that can phase DNAseq data into haplotypes for the purposes of identifying recombination (crossovers between samples), identifying parental isolates or clades, or various population genetic tests. The manuscript describing the tool is in review at Communications Biology. 
Type Of Technology Webtool/Application 
Year Produced 2021 
Impact Bioinformatic tool available for the Mycology research community 
URL https://github.com/rhysf/HaplotypeTools
 
Description ACROS Atlantic UK - Emer Hickey 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Emer Hickey participated in the first international conference for ACROS Atlantic UK where she spoke online to Government officials, education leaders and business leaders in Nigeria about how to encourage more young people into science and the methods by which government and industry can support this.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Adilia Warris: Chair at Myco-clinics S01E01 
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 Prof Adilia Warris acted as chair at Mycoclinics S01E01, held on 3 Sept 2021.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/medicalmycology/mycoclinics/
 
Description Adilia Warris: invited speaker at at Trinity College Cambridge during AMR awareness week 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Prof Adilia Warris was an invited speaker at the Trinity College Cambridge during AMR awareness week presenting a talk on 'The epidemiology of antifungal resistance and drivers of antifungal resistance', held on the 21st Nov 2021.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://twitter.com/Trin_AMR_action
 
Description Adilia Warris: presentation at the GW4 AMR Alliance Our Interdisciplinary Approach to One Health AMR event 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Prof Adilia Warris presented a talk at the GW4 AMR Alliance Our Interdisciplinary Approach to One Health AMR event, with the title 'Challenges of antifungal resistance in clinical practice'.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://gw4.ac.uk/news/gw4-launches-one-health-interdisciplinary-amr-alliance/
 
Description Adilia Warris: talk at Biosciences Departmental Seminar Series 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Adilia Warris presented a talk at the Biosciences Departmental Seminar Series entitled: 'Aspergillus infections in Cystic Fibrosis'.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Al Brown invited lecture at Candida & Candidiasis Conference 2021 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Invited seminar entitled "Factors affecting host-Candida interactions during phagocytic attack"
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Al Brown invited lecture at the University of California San Francisco 2021 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Invited seminar entitled "What's coming next? Anticipatory immune evasion in a fungal pathogen"
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Al Brown invited lecture at the University of Dusseldorf 2021 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Invited talk entitled "Fungal memory and immune evasion. Molecules of Infection Symposium"
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Al Brown session chair at Candida & Candidiasis Conference 2021 
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 Chair of Session on "Fungal and Host Signaling" at the International Conference on Candida & Candidiasis 2021
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Alex Brand: chair at the Myco-talks 8, held on 25 Feb 2021 
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 Dr Alex Brand acted as chair at Myco-talks 8, held on 25 Feb 2021, with speakers Nelesh Govender (Milestones in the Prevention and Management of Cryptococcal Meningitis) and Anna Selmecki (Genome plasticity and the acquisition of antifungal drug resistance in Candida species).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/medicalmycology/mycotalks/
 
Description Alex Brand: chair at the Myco-talks S2E5, held on 16 Dec 2021 
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 Dr Alex Brand chaired the Myco-talks S2E5, held on 16 Dec 2021.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/medicalmycology/mycotalks/
 
Description Alex Brand: co-chair at the Myco-talks 7, held on 28 Jan 2021 
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 Dr Alex Brand acted as co-chair at Myco-talks 7, held on 28 Jan 2021, with speakers Suzanne Noble (Candida albicans, a fungal pathobiont of the mammalian gut) and Amariliz Rivera (Novel insights on the regulation of interferons and innate antifungal immunity).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/medicalmycology/mycotalks/
 
Description Alex Brand: presenting at the Microfluidics@Exeter, by the Quantitative Health Network, University of Exeter 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact On the 8 March 2021, MRC CMM Principal Investigator Alex Brand presented at Microfluidics@Exeter, by the Quantitative Health Network, University of Exeter. This was the launch meeting at which 4 of the current microfluidics users - Frank Vollmer, Fabrice Gielen, Jehangir Cama and Alex Brand - gave short talks on how microfluidics is helping to address their research questions. These were followed by an informal open-floor Discussion/Q & A session led by Stefano Pagliara and Remy Chait.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/quantitative-health-network/news/articles/launchmeetingoftheexetermi.php
 
Description Alison Gifford, I. Dambuza, G. Brown & L. Mukaremera: poster presentation at CLESCon 2021: Postgraduate Research Conference, 26th October 2021, University of Exeter 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Alison Gifford, I. Dambuza, G. Brown & L. Mukaremera: poster presentation at CLESCon 2021: Postgraduate Research Conference, 26th October 2021, University of Exeter
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Alistair Brown: Study sheds light on killer fungus 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Press Release and media coverage of paper 'Transcriptional and functional insights into the host immune response against the emerging fungal pathogen Candida auris', published in Nature Microbiology by Bruno et al. (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-020-0780-3).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://lifesciences.exeter.ac.uk/news/articles/studyshedslightonkillerfu.html
 
Description Andy Borman: "Life after your PhD" Lecture Series, University of Exeter 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Careers presentation by Dr Andy Borman to Exeter PhD students with around 40 students attending from different disciplines and career stages across Biosciences/Medical School at the University of Exeter, to nurture a future generation passionate about research and innovation.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Andy Borman: CLSI Antifungal Subcommittee working group meeting 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Prof Andy Borman participated at the CLSI Antifungal Subcommittee working group meeting April 2021 to generate and ratify ECVs and clinical breakpoints for novel organism-antifungal agent combinations. main objective was to generate and ratify ECVs and clinical breakpoints for novel organism-antifungal agent combinations.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Andy Borman: CLSI Antifungal Subcommittee working group meeting 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Prof Andy Borman participated at the CLSI Antifungal Subcommittee working group meeting June 2021 to generate and ratify ECVs and clinical breakpoints for novel echinocandin, rezafungin with key filamentous fungi and yeast species. Main objective was To generate and ratify ECVs and clinical breakpoints for the novel echinocandin, rezafungin with key filamentous fungi and yeast species.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Andy Borman: Departmental Seminar at Addenbrookes Medical School 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Prof Andy Borman presented a talk at the weekly Departmental Seminar at Addenbrookes Medical School entitled: 'Candida auris in the UK: where are we now?'
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Andy Borman: Lecture on 'Introduction to Mould identification', presented at the Infections Sciences regional training day 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Dr Andy Borman, Hon. member at MRC CMM presented a lecture on 'Introduction to Mould identification', at the Infections Sciences regional training day 2021, aimed at training young medics.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Andy Borman: Lecture on 'Molecular identification of Fungi', presented to QMUL/Barts MSc students 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Dr Andy Borman, Hon. member at MRC CMM presented a lecture on 'Molecular identification of Fungi', presented to QMUL/Barts MSc students in order to nurture a future generation passionate about research and innovation.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Antimicrobial Resistance website and campaign within the University of Exeter AMR network 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Profs Adilia Warris and Neil Gow from the MRC CMM were involved in a media campaign to promote awareness of fungal antimicrobial resistance: press, website, social media, films. This campaign had a reach of:
Total users: 55,952 and Total pageviews: 84,183.
Top countries: USA - 37,148 users, 54,954 pageviews; and UK - 20,179 users, 31.014 pageviews.
A lot of the visit sources has been via Social with Twitter, Google and Facebook.
Stats shown above as of 25th Feb 2021.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020,2021
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/amr/
 
Description BT Big Bang Science Fair - Emer Hickey 
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 Emer Hickey judged primary school science fair projects. This involved chatting to classes of primary school children about their scientific findings and giving them feedback.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.thebigbang.org.uk/
 
Description BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition - Emer Hickey 
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 This Science Fair involved Irish secondary school students and the general public with 500 projects competing to a global online audience. Emer ran an interview series on the online portal of the event. She interviewed young irish scientists about their work and their tips for fellow students.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://btyoungscientist.com/
 
Description Callum J Parkin: oral presentation at the Fungal Genetics Conference Asilomar 2022 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Callum J Parkin: oral presentation at the Fungal Genetics Conference Asilomar 16-20 March 2022, entitled ' Novel GCaMP6 imaging of cytosolic free calcium dynamics reveals stress-specific signalling responses in the fungal pathogen, Candida albicans'.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://genetics-gsa.org/fungal-2022/
 
Description Carolina Coelho: presentation at the Soapbox Science Bristol 2021 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Dr Carolina Coelho presented at the Soapbox Science Bristol 2021 on 22nd June, with a talk entitled: 'Deadly fungus in your brain: a tale of Cryptococcus neoformans'.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL http://soapboxscience.org/soapbox-science-2019-bristol/
 
Description Carolina Coelho: presented her work at "Jargon-free" Series within the AMR Network, University of Exeter 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Dr Carolina Coelho presented her work at "Jargon-free" Seminar Series within the AMR Network, University of Exeter. These are talks in an accessible format for all discipline backgrounds.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/amr/amrnetwork/
 
Description Chris Thornton - Invited talk at University of Edinburgh, Queens Medical Research Institute 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Prof Chris Thornton presented a talk at the University of Edinburgh, Queens Medical Research Institute, with the title 'Imaging Fungal Infections Using Labelled Antibodies' on 6th June 2021
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Chris Thornton - Invited talk at the One-day virtual symposium set at the Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Prof Chris Thornton presented a talk at the One-day virtual symposium set at the Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States on 10th June 2021 with the title: 'Imaging Fungal Infections Using Labelled Antibodies'.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Chris Thornton: invited speaker at the 55th Scientific Conference of the German Speaking Mycological Society e.V. (DMykG) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Prof Chris Thornton presented a talk at the 55th Scientific Conference of the German Speaking Mycological Society e.V. (DMykG) entitled: 'Molecular imaging of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis', held on 27 Sept 2021.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.dmykg-kongress.de/
 
Description Clare Hoving: presentation at Myco-talks S2E07 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact CMM AFRICA Unit member Dr Clare Hoving presented a talk at Myco-talks S2E07 entitled: 'Host recognition and clearance of Pneumocystis: investigating immune mediators and mechanisms', held on 24 Feb 2021.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/medicalmycology/mycotalks/
 
Description Clare Hoving: presentation at The Federation of African Immunology Societies conference 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Dr Clare Hoving, CMM AFRICA Unit. presented a talk at The Federation of African Immunology Societies conference August 2021, entitled: 'Host Recognition and Clearance of Pneumocystis'.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL http://burkclients.com/FAIS/2021/site/index.html
 
Description Daniel Larcombe - COVID-19 testing voluteer 
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 Daniel Larcombe was a COVID-19 testing volunteer at Southwest Pathology Services, Taunton, April - June 2020
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Departmental seminar by Dr Duncan Wilson in Biosciences, University of Exeter (4th June, 2020) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Dr Duncan Wilson presented a Departamental deminar on 'Micronutrient scavenging in human fungal pathogens' on 4th June 2020.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Duncan Wilson: presentation at Myco-talks S1E13 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Dr Duncan Wilson presented a talk at Myco-talks S1E13 entitled: 'Micronutrient scavenging by human fungal pathogens', held on 29 July 2021.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/medicalmycology/mycotalks/
 
Description Elaine Bignell: World leading expert in fungal lung disease joins Exeter 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Press release/news story on Elaine Bignell, World leading expert in fungal lung disease joins Exeter. Released on 8 April 2020.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/staff/title_787186_en.html
 
Description Elaine Bignell: presented at 'AMR Speed collaborating' within the AMR Network Talks on 9 Dec 2020 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Prof Elaine Bignell participated and presented her work at "AMR Speed collaborating" Seminar Series within the AMR Network, University of Exeter. Members were split into small interdisciplinary breakout groups and tasked with developing a seed corn AMR research project in response to a specific call announcement - in just 10 minutes! Afterwards each group presented a very brief (30sec) summary of their idea, followed by a discussion amongst the whole audience. The two topics were:

1- Understanding environmental AMR risk, introduced by Professor Steve Hinchliffe (Human Geography)
2- Addressing the problem of drug-resistant fungi, introduced by Professor Elaine Bignell (MRC Centre for Medical Mycology)

These challenges of AMR will require teams of collaborators to solve them. We took the approach that, whatever your interest in antimicrobial resistance or your level of expertise, you would have something to contribute and all were extremely welcome to join this event.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/amr/amrnetwork/
 
Description Elizabeth Ballou: oral presentation at the Fungal Genetics Conference Asilomar 2022 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Elizabeth Ballou: oral presentation at the Fungal Genetics Conference Asilomar 16-20 March 2022, entitled 'A Ralstonia pickettii endosymbiont allows Rhizopus microsporus to evade amoeba and cause opportunistic virulence in animals'.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://genetics-gsa.org/fungal-2022/
 
Description Elizabeth Ballou: Cell biology specialist joins fungal research team 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Press release/news story on Dr Elizabeth Ballou joining the Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology (MRC CMM) in Exeter, from the University of Birmingham. Released on 11 February 2021.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/staff/title_842897_en.html
 
Description Elizabeth Ballou: invited speaker at TIMM2021 - Trends In Medical Mycology meeting 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Dr Liz Ballou presented as invited speaker at TIMM2021 - Trends In Medical Mycology meeting, with the talk entitled: 'Cryptocococcus Titan Cells', held in Aberdeen between 8-11 Oct 2021.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.timm2021.org/
 
Description Elizabeth Johnson and Andy Borman: Appointed as Honorary Professors at the University of Exeter and the MRC CMM 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Press release/news story covering the recently appointed MRC CMM Honorary members Profs Elizabeth Johnson and Andy Borman.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/medicalmycology/news/articles/profselizabethjohnsonanda.html
 
Description Elizabeth Johnson and Andy Borman: Lecture "Candida CHROMagar Candida PLus for the robust identification of Candida auris" presented at an international workshop organised by CHROMagar 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Profs Elizabeth Johnson and Andy Borman delived a Lecture "Candida CHROMagar Candida PLus for the robust identification of Candida auris" presented at an international workshop organised by CHROMagar.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Elizabeth Johnson: Haematology talk at PHE 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Elizabeth Johnson presented a haematology talk at PHE entitled: Difficult fungal cases presented to haematology registrars during a one hour presentation and question and answer session. This was a educational session for haematology registrars.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Elizabeth Johnson: Lecture on 'Introduction to Mycology: Basic Science and Clinical Aspects', presented at the Registrars training day 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Prof Elizabteh Johnson, Hon. member at MRC CMM presented a lecture on 'Introduction to Mycology: Basic Science and Clinical Aspects', presented at the Registrars training day 2021, aimed at training the next generation of Consultant Microbiologists.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Elizabeth Johnson: invited speaker at TIMM2021 - Trends In Medical Mycology meeting 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Prof Elizabeth Johnson presented as invited speaker at TIMM2021 - Trends In Medical Mycology meeting, with the talk entitled: 'Diagnosis of Candida: culture, BDG and Mannan', held in Aberdeen between 8-11 Oct 2021.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.timm2021.org/
 
Description Elizabeth Johnson: invited talk Group of Microbiology and Infectious Disease trainees (Medics) in the East Midlands 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Prof Elizabeth Johnson was invited to present a talk entited '"Antifungal susceptibility testing methods: antifungal breakpoints and interpretation of results', to the Group of Microbiology and Infectious Disease trainees (Medics) in the East Midlands.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Elizabeth Johnson: lecture 'Antifungal Susceptibility Testing' 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Prof Elizabeth Johnson presented a talk on 'Antifungal Susceptibility Testing' with the aim of educating laboratory staff, pharmacists and medics
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Elizabeth Johnson: presentation at the Irish Fungal Society Meeting 2021 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Prof Elizabeth Johnson gave a talk at the Irish Fungal Society Meeting 2021 on 'Impact of increasing drug resistance on diagnostic and treatment strategies', held on 22 June 2021.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Emer Hickey - BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition 2021 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Emer Hickey ran an interview series at the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition in January 2021. She interviewed some prominent Irish based scientists and past winners of the competition. This was/ is still available online.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Emer Hickey - London International Youth Science Forum 2020-21 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Emer Hickey is helping to organise the London International Youth Science Forum. This is a youth conference which a global reach (usually over 500 students from over 70 different countries). This conference will be held in July and is hoping to run as both an in-person conference (for those based in the UK) and online (for people who can't travel due to covid restrictions)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Emer Hickey - Exeter Scholars Program 2021 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact Emer Hickey is a speaker at the Exeter Scholars Program. She presents to high school students in their penultimate and final year about her journey through science, my current work and how young people can engage in scientific research at an early age.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Emily Speakman: I'm a Scientist Medical Research Zone 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact PhD student Emily Speakman participated at I'm a Scientist Medical Research Zone. Aim is to connect teachers and school students with researchers working on all things medical, from inventing new microscopes, to looking at how social media can affect our mental health, to investigating how proteins can cause Alzheimer's Disease. Students can ask questions, chat with our researchers in engaging online chats, and vote for their favourite to win £500!
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://mrcmedical2020.imascientist.org.uk/
 
Description Emily Speakman: coordinator for Celebrating DIVERSITY in Science conference 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact MRC CMM PhD student Emily Speakman coordinated the 'Celebrating DIVERSITY in Science' conference at the University of Exeter on 8 and 9 Dec 2020 which included a series of seminars with speakers from across the Life Sciences department.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://sites.google.com/view/pg-lss/home
 
Description Fungicast E1: What do dinosaurs, Alexander the Great, and Napoleon have in common? 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Fungicast Episode 1: What do dinosaurs, Alexander the Great, and Napoleon have in common? In this episode join host Sarah Campbell as she explores the potency, power and potential of fungi with Professor Neil Gow, a lead researcher at the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, and Merlin Sheldrake, biologist and author of the excellent 2020 book Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds, and Shape Our Futures. The conversation delves into some big fungal questions, including how fungi can coax us towards a more interconnected world-view, and what role fungi might play in the climate crisis.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://thefungalthreat.com/take-part-and-discover/listen/
 
Description Fungicast E2: Researching fungal infections in children 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Fungicast Episode 2: Researching fungal infections in children. Over half of people with the condition Cystic Fibrosis have the fungus Aspergillus in their lungs, which can cause problems with breathing and lead to very reduced lung function. This disease particularly impacts on children, and in this episode of Fungicast, Paediatric Infectious Diseases Specialist Professor Adilia Warris, a Co-Director of the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, discusses the research being undertaken with colleagues at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, and St George's Hospital London, to improve the outcomes for children. Prof. Warris is joined by MRC Centre for Medical Mycology Clinical Research Fellows and hospital consultants Dr Emily Chesshyre, and Dr Laura Ferreras-Antolin.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://thefungalthreat.com/take-part-and-discover/listen/
 
Description Fungicast E3: Did fungi help to kill the dinosaurs? 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Fungicast Episode 3: Did fungi help to kill the dinosaurs? Eminent microbiologist Professor Arturo Casadevall of John Hopkins University in the USA is a leading proponent of the theory that microscopic fungi played a role in the downfall of the mighty dinosaur. In this episode of Fungicast, Professor Gordon Brown, Director of the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology and Prof. Casadevall discuss this theory, and what it might tell us about the fungal threat to humans on a warming planet in the 21st Century.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://thefungalthreat.com/take-part-and-discover/listen/
 
Description GILEAD Educational Updates 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact On behalf of GILEAD I have spoken to several special interest groups including via a webinar for Medical Microbiologists (2021), Intensive Care Practitioners (Birmingham 2020), nurses and consultant haematologists at the Manchester Royal Infirmary (2021) and Medical Microbiologists at a specialist symposium held by GILEAD at the University of Manchester (2020).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020,2021
 
Description GW4 AMR Alliance Bid development and networking event 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Investigators in the GW4 Alliance (Universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff and Exeter) attend a meeting to discuss ideas for the development of collaborative research projects addressing Antimicrobial Resistance. Discussions identified ideas for potential bid development, and planned further meetings to discuss specific projects in 4 key themes: One Health Prevention of Control of AMR in the built/urban environment (theme-1), One Health Prevention of Control of AMR in natural and farmed environments (theme-2), One Health Prevention of Control of AMR in food, crop and industrial processes (theme-3), and One Health Prevention of Control of AMR coinfection, polymicrobial communities and microbiomes under pressure (theme-4).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Gordon Brown and Claire Hoving: South African Medical Mycology Workshop, held on 3 May 2021 
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 Gordon Brown and Claire Hoving hosted the South African Medical Mycology Workshop, held on 3 May 2021 online. The purpose of this workshop was to discuss local research and training opportunities, particularly with the AFRICA CMM Medical Mycology Unit in Cape Town and the Medical Research Council Centre for Medial Mycology in the UK, as well exploring opportunities for accessing international funding.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.sasm2020.co.za/rsvp
 
Description Gordon Brown: chair at the Myco-talks 2, held on 27 Aug 2020 
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 Prof Gordon Brown acted as chair at the Myco-talks 2, held on 27 Aug 2020, with speakers: Liz Ballou( The Cryptococcus neoformans Titan cell is an inducible and regulated morphotype underlying pathogenesis) and Bruce Klein (Genetic variation at the Interleukin-6 locus and human susceptibility to fungal infection).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/medicalmycology/mycotalks/
 
Description Gordon Brown: chair at the Myco-talks 5, held on 19 Nov 2020 
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 Prof Gordon Brown acted as chair at Myco-talks 5, held on 19 Nov2020, with speakers Joe Heitman (RNAi-dependent epimutations evoke transient antifungal drug resistance) and Tobias Hohl (Foiling Fungal Invasion: Lessons from the Mycobiome and Pulmonary Antifungal Immunity).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/medicalmycology/mycotalks/
 
Description Gordon Brown: co-chair at the Myco-talks 6, held on 17 Dec 2020 
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 Prof Gordon Brown acted as co-chair at Myco-talks 6, held on 17 Dec 2020, with speakers Judith Berman (Tolerating challenges: lessons from pathogenic yeast) and Michail Lionakis(Aberrant type 1 immunity drives mucosal fungal infection susceptibility).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/medicalmycology/mycotalks/
 
Description Gordon Brown: departmental lecture at Department of Microbial Infection & Immunity Seminar Series, Ohio State University 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Prof Gordon Brown delivered a departmental lecture at the Department of Microbial Infection & Immunity Seminar Series, Ohio State University, on 4th Feb 2022.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description International Women's Day, Roslin Institute 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Talk on unusual routes into scientific research and assessment of status of the gender gap across a range of countries.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description January 2022 MRC Seminar Series: Tackling fungi that cause human lung disease (Elaine Bignell) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Tackling fungi that cause human lung disease - A talk delivered to the Directorate, Board & Programme Managers and Institute staff of the Medical Research Council
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WKtneF1wrk&list=PLSus4fp7v7sQuXdUwREyHbUMR8cqNZKYj&index=15
 
Description Liliane Mukaremera: invited speaker at TIMM2021 - Trends In Medical Mycology meeting 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Dr Liliane Mukaremera presented as invited speaker at TIMM2021 - Trends In Medical Mycology meeting, with the talk entitled: 'Modifications of the cell wall in cryptococcosis', held in Aberdeen between 8-11 Oct 2021.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.timm2021.org/
 
Description Liliane Mukaremera: presented her work at "Jargon-free" Series within the AMR Network, University of Exeter 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Dr Liliane Mukaremera presented her work at "Jargon-free" Seminar Series within the AMR Network, University of Exeter. These are talks in an accessible format for all discipline backgrounds.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/amr/amrnetwork/
 
Description Liliane Mukaremera: talk at Biosciences Departmental Seminar Series 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Dr Liliane Mukaremera presented a talk at Biosciences Departmental Seminar Series entitled 'Understanding morphological factors influencing C. neoformans pathogenesis'.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Liz Ballou, Liliane Mukaremera and Rachael Dangarenbizi: members of the organising committee of Medical Mycology Trainee Seminar Series 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact The Medical Mycology Trainee Seminar Series provides students, postdocs, clinical trainees, and new faculty (<1 year in position) with a platform to present their work virtually to our global community. The goal is to highlight the scientifically broad and international medical mycology community by hosting speakers with wide scientific interests and global diversity. Seminars are the second Thursday of the month. MRC CMM Principal Investigators Liz Ballou, Liliane Mukaremera and Rachael Dangarenbizi are members of the organising committee. The MRC CMM supports and host the seminar recordings on The MRC Centre for Medical Mycology's Youtube channel.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020,2021
URL https://medicine.utah.edu/pathology/microbiology-immunology/mmtss/
 
Description London International Youth Science Forum - Emer Hickey 
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 Emer Hickey is the Chief of Staff for Ireland for the London International Youth Science Forum. She helped to organise and run this annual event. This year it was a hybrid event incorporating online and in-person audiences. She set up lectures, scientific and research visits etc.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.liysf.org.uk/about-us/about-liysf
 
Description MRC Blog contribution by Brown, G.D, Warris, A., Brown, A.J.P. and E. Bignell. 2021. Why we need an international effort to study fungal infections. 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact MRC Blog contribution by Brown, G.D, Warris, A., Brown, A.J.P. and E. Bignell. 2021. Why we need an international effort to study fungal infections
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.ukri.org/blog/why-we-need-an-international-effort-to-study-fungal-infections/
 
Description MRC CMM Youtube channel 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact The MRC Centre for Medical Mycology Youtube channel where recordings from our Myco-talks seminar series as well as other videos related with our multidisciplinary research we conduct at the MRC CMM are available to watch.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020,2021,2022
URL https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHzWxsoN0huTAmVelh33Gzg
 
Description MRC CMM hosted event 'Our Body is a Planet' film premier at the Exeter Phoenix 
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 The MRC CMM hosted the film premier of Leonie Hampton's 'Our Body is a Planet' film at the Exeter Phoenix on 3rd Feb 2022. The screening, both in person and online, was followed by a live debate with audience questions with MRC CMM member Prof Neil Gow as a panel member,
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://thefungalthreat.com/take-part-and-discover/art-meets-medical-mycology/our-body-is-a-planet/
 
Description MRC CMM hosted monthly 'Myco-Talks' series 
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 Our monthly Myco-talks is a new online seminar series where worldwide experts in Medical Mycology and related fields present their latest research. Recordings of all of our previous Mycotalks are available to view on our Youtube channel. Seminars are delivered by Zoom on the last working Thursday of each month at 4pm (UK time).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020,2021,2022
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/medicalmycology/mycotalks/
 
Description MRC CMM hosted quarterly 'Myco-Clinics' series 
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 Our quarterly Myco-Clinics is a new online seminar series where worldwide clinical experts in Medical Mycology will be presenting cases highlighting the challenges and new observations in the clinical recognition, diagnosis and management of fungal diseases. Recordings of all of our previous Myco-clinics are available to view on our Youtube channel. Seminars are delivered by Zoom on the first Friday of every three months at 16:00 BST. At each Myco-Clinic seminar, speakers will each present a clinical case study with diagnostic considerations and process, treatment deliberations, follow-up and outcomes, concluding with a discussion and literature review.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021,2022
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/medicalmycology/mycoclinics/
 
Description MRC CMM members participated at the Exeter Microbiology Symposium 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact MRC CMM members Neil Gow, Adilia Warris, Elaine Bignell, Gordon Brown, Liliane Mukaremera participated at the Exeter Microbiology Symposium, 8 - 10 Feb 2021, Live Stream on Environment and Sustainability Institute (ESI) Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UniofExeterESI.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/events/details/index.php?event=10902
 
Description MRC CMM members participated at the Fungal Fusion Event on 18 March 2021 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact MRC CMM members Professor Neil Gow, Professor Elizabeth Johnson, Professor Adilia Warris, Professor Elaine Bignell and Dr Carolina Coelho, presented their work in addressing fungal antimicrobial resistance in order to discuss and help establish new opportunities for collaboration with colleagues across the AMR Network. With this event, the aim is to broaden the network of colleagues working in this area and foster long-term potential collaborations which complement and expand existing MRC CMM research into:
- Novel antifungal drug targets
- Antifungal drug discovery
- Mode of action of drug studies
- Antifungal antibodies for diagnostic and therapeutic use
- Antifungal stewardship
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/amr/amrnetwork/
 
Description MRC Centre for Medical Mycology website and Twitter 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact The MRC CMM now at The Universaity of Exeter has a dedicated website in place since the January 2020. The website provides information on the research conducted within the Centre for both a lay audience and the scientific community, through the use of U-Tube videos, podcasts, individual profiles of research staff and students. The website is also used to advertise our research and training opportunities, promote our public engagement activities, and highlight media coverage. Researchers and the public can also follow our activities and updates by following our Twitter account (@MRCcmm).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020,2021,2022
URL http://www.exeter.ac.uk/medicalmycology/
 
Description Mark Ramsdale: 2h Fungal Foray with Societe Jersiaise - Mycology Section 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Dr Mark Ramsdale organised and run a 2h Fungal Foray with Societe Jersiaise - Mycology Section for JICAS and masters students on MSc Island Biodiversity and Conservation in St Catherine's Wood, Jersey, on the 25th Oct 2021.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Mark Ramsdale: invited speaker at TIMM2021 - Trends In Medical Mycology meeting 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Dr Mark Ramsdale presented as invited speaker at TIMM2021 - Trends In Medical Mycology meeting, with the talk entitled: 'Investigating the Arabian killifish embryo as a model of (Candida) infection', held in Aberdeen between 8-11 Oct 2021.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.timm2021.org/
 
Description Mark Ramsdale: invited talk to JICAS and MSc Island Biodiversity students in Jersey 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Dr Mark Ramsdale was invited to present a 60-min talk to JICAS and MSc Island Biodiversity students in Jersey, entitled: 'The World of Fungi'.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Mark Ramsdale: presentation to Cardiff University Mycology Group 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Dr Mark Ramsdale presentated a talk to Cardiff University Mycology Group entitled: 'Gone Fishing: Recent advances in Medical Mycology', on 5th Nov 2021.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL http://www.fungalecologycardiff.com
 
Description Monthly Myco-talks Seminar Series 2020/21, hosted by the MRC CMM with Gordon Brown, Alex Brand and Neil Gow within the Organising Committee 
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 Myco-talks Seminar Series is an open forum where experts in Medical Mycology and related fields will be presenting their latest research, consisting on two 30 minute talks on all aspects of Medical Mycology with a broad and diverse range of speaker (e.g career stage, gender, geography, field).
MRC CMM members Gordon Brown, Alex Brand and Neil Gow are within the Organising Committee.
Recordings of all of our Mycotalks are available to view on our MRC CMM Youtube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHzWxsoN0huTAmVelh33Gzg).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020,2021
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/medicalmycology/mycotalks/
 
Description MycoTalk 2022 - Al Brown 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Invited online MycoTalk, organised by the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, to >200 participants across the world (including Europe, the Americas, Australasia, etc.). Following the talk there were discussions about the ideas I presented with PIs in Europe and the USA.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/medicalmycology/mycotalks/
 
Description Mycotalks: S1 E12 Antivirulence strategies for tackling Aspergilloses 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact A talk delivered to Medical Mycologists of all career stages that describes molecular genetic approaches to novel antifungal drug discovery
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGB64q16cgc
 
Description Neil Gow and Peter Cook: Participation at Exeter Scholars Virtual Residential outreach campaign 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Prof Neil Gow and Dr Peter Cook participated at Exeter Scholar Virtual Residential outreach campaign at the University of Exeter in July 2020.
In response to the cancellation of face-to-face outreach activities due to COVID-19 pandemic, the university's Widening Participation and Outreach teams have worked together to create Discover University, a new collection of web based activities and resources. CMM members Prof Gow and Dr Cook took part through the creation of activities such as:
- a live Q+A Facebook Live session
- a pre-recorded lecture with Q+A after
- designing independent activity
- short films (recorded on e.g. Zoom) about becoming a scientist.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Neil Gow participated at Britain Needs Scientists 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact Prof Neil Gow participated at Britain Needs Scientists, aimed at students in Year 10 and up. Event was a 'subject/field/topic taster day' for STEM, within the University of Exeter's own outreach programme to nurture a future generation passionate about research and innovation.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Neil Gow, Elaine Bignell and Leonie Hampton: presentation and discussion at The Exchange Symposium 2021, University of Exeter 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Profs Elaine Bignell and Neil Gow joined Leonie Hampton to present a talk on 'Art and science collaboration: Your body is a planet', during The Exchange Symposium 2021 at The University of Exeter, on 1st July 2021.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.artsandcultureexeter.co.uk/news/the-exchange-symposium-2021
 
Description Neil Gow: Speaker at the British Science Festival 2021 in Chelmsford 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Prof Neil Gow was invited as Speaker at the British Science Festival In September 2021 in Chelmsford
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://britishsciencefestival.org/
 
Description Neil Gow: chair at the Myco-talks 3, held on 24 Sept 2020 
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 Prof Neil Gow acted as chair at Myco-talks 3, held on 24 Sept 2020, with speakers Bernhard Hube (The virulence and avirulence functions of candidalysin) and Geraldine Butler (Ongoing hybridisation in Candida species)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/medicalmycology/mycotalks/
 
Description Neil Gow: chair at the Myco-talks S1E10, held on 29 April 2021 
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 Prof Neil Gow acted as chair at Myco-talks S1E10, held on 29 April 2021, with speakers Leah Cowen: 'Identifying Vulnerabilities in Fungal Pathogens Through Functional and Chemical Genomic Analyses', and Iliyan Iliev: 'The Mycobiome of the gastrointestinal tract: at the crossroad of Protective Immunity and Inflammatory Diseases'.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/medicalmycology/mycotalks/
 
Description Neil Gow: chair at the Myco-talks S2E01, held on 26 August 2021 
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 Prof Neil Gow chaired the Myco-talks S2E01, held on 26 August 2021.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/medicalmycology/mycotalks/
 
Description Neil Gow: oral presentation at the Fungal Genetics Conference Asilomar 2022 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Neil Gow: oral presentation at the Fungal Genetics Conference Asilomar 16-20 March 2022, entitled ' Immune recognition of fungi: deciphering the writing on the wall'.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://genetics-gsa.org/fungal-2022/
 
Description Neil Gow: talk at the Myco-talks S1E11 entitled 'The fungal cell wall: communication across barriers' held on 27 May 2021 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Prof Neil Gow delivered a talk entitled 'The fungal cell wall: communication across barriers' held on 27 May 2021 as part of Myco-talks S1E11 series.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/medicalmycology/mycotalks/
 
Description News release: Antimicrobial resistance expert joins MRC CMM 
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 Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact News release: Antimicrobial resistance expert joins MRC CMM. Professor Hope (BMBS, FRACP, FRCPA, PhD), is Dame Sally Davies Chair of Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Director of Centre of Excellence in Infectious Diseases Research at the University of Liverpool in the UK, as well as a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/medicalmycology/news/articles/antimicrobialresistanceex.html
 
Description News release: Bid to discover how immune systems recognise fungal invaders 
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 Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact New release: Bid to discover how immune systems recognise fungal invaders. A new research programme aims to define the vital first step in how human immune systems recognise fungal invaders. Fungal infections kill an estimated 1.6 million people a year worldwide, but key aspects of the immune response are still unknown. Professor Neil Gow and Professor Alistair Brown, of the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology (MRC CMM) at the University of Exeter, have secured a £1.6 million Wellcome Investigator Award to find out how immune receptors detect specific chemical signatures on fungal cells.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/medicalmycology/news/articles/bidtodiscoverhowimmunesys.html
 
Description News release: Exeter academics awarded grants for pioneering fungal research 
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 Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact News release: Exeter academics awarded grants for pioneering fungal research. Two scientists from the The MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, based at the University of Exeter, have received prestigious Springboard Awards from The Academy of Medical Sciences for their research into a deadly fungal disease. Biomedical researchers Dr Liliane Mukaremera and Dr Carolina Coelho will both use the funding to support their investigations into the fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/medicalmycology/news/articles/exeteracademicsawardedgra.html
 
Description News release: Exeter researcher wins prestigious paediatric infectious diseases 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 Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact News release: Exeter researcher wins prestigious paediatric infectious diseases award. Professor Adilia Warris, co-director of The MRC Centre for Medical Mycology based at the University of Exeter, has received this year's Bill Marshall Award for her pioneering paediatric infectious diseases research. Professor Warris's research focuses on the host-fungus interaction in specific patient groups with an emphasis on Aspergillus species. She also investigates the epidemiology of invasive fungal infections in children, how to manage these diseases and the pharmacology of antifungals in paediatrics. The Bill Marshall Award is the most prestigious given by ESPID (European Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases), recognising one senior member of the society each year.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/medicalmycology/news/articles/exeterresearcherwinsprest.html
 
Description News release: Five-year funding boost for fungal research centre 
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 Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact News release: A leading fungal research centre has received a further five years' funding from the Medical Research Council (MRC). The MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, based at the University of Exeter, secured the funding through the renewal of its status as an MRC Centre. The MRC grant, with significant matched funding from the University of Exeter, will enable the Centre to continue working to address the key challenges of fungal diseases worldwide.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/medicalmycology/news/articles/five-yearfundingboostforf.html
 
Description News release: Fungal diseases expert joins University of Exeter 
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 Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact News release: Fungal diseases expert joins University of Exeter. Professor Nelesh Govender, an expert in fungal diseases and antifungal resistance, has been appointed an Honorary Professor at The MRC Centre for Medical Mycology (MRC CMM). Professor Govender is currently Head of The Centre for Healthcare-Associated Infections, Antimicrobial Resistance and Mycoses (CHARM), part of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases in Johannesburg, and works closely with the South African Department of Health to generate evidence to guide government policy.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/medicalmycology/news/articles/fungaldiseasesexpertjoins.html
 
Description News release: Hidden Kingdom - an arts/science collaboration Devon based artist Léonie Hampton and the MRC CMM 
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 Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Devon based artist Léonie Hampton will be joining the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology at the University of Exeter for an exploratory residency in spring 2021, collaborating with the scientists to produce an original artwork inspired by their research.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.artsandcultureexeter.co.uk/news/hidden-kingdom-an-arts-science-collaboration
 
Description News release: How do pathogens learn to be pathogens: partnerships between microbes leading to human disease 
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 Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact News release: How do pathogens learn to be pathogens: partnerships between microbes leading to human disease. New research discovered that the fungus Rhizopus fights back against soil predators and human immune cells by partnering with a bacteria called Ralstonia in a two way partnership. The microscopic world resembles our world in some surprising ways. The environment around us is inhabited by microbes living in complex communities - some friendly and some not so friendly. Microbes compete with each other for resources and must also hide from or fight predators. One example of this is the fungus Rhizopus, which grows in the soil and on spoiled food and is the cause of "black fungus" outbreaks in covid patients.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/medicalmycology/news/articles/howdopathogenslearntobepa.html
 
Description News release: MRC Centre for Medical Mycology at the World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) 
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 Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact New release: MRC Centre for Medical Mycology at the World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW). World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) took place this year 18-24 November, and the MRC CMM has contributed to several activities surrounding this event.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/medicalmycology/news/articles/mrccentreformedicalmycolo.html
 
Description News release: Our Body is a Planet 
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 Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact News release: Our Body is a Planet. The short film "Our Body is a Planet" is the result of the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology's exploratory artist's residency with Devon-based artist Léonie Hampton of Still/Moving, in partnership with Arts and Culture, University of Exeter. "This residency has been a deeply inspiring and enriching experience. A blend of horror and beauty grew as I learnt from the stories and images about fungi that the scientists shared with me. The film is truly a collaborative outcome that tries to capture the journey I was taken on. Thank you to everyone who contributed their thoughts, time and work to make this film come alive. " Léonie. Launched at the Two Short Nights Film Festival at Exeter Phoenix on 3rd February 2022, the film was followed by a discussion between Léonie, Neil Gow, Professor of Microbiology at the University of Exeter and Sarah Campbell, Associate Director of Culture at the University of Exeter.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/medicalmycology/news/articles/ourbodyisaplanet.html
 
Description News release: Sculpting Medical Mycology - New sculpture commission at the University of Exeter 
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 Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact News release: Sculpting Medical Mycology - New sculpture commission at the University of Exeter. In an exciting new commission to highlight the use of science to tackle the global burden of human fungal diseases, the Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology (MRC CMM) at the University of Exeter will be working with Still/Moving to create a sculptural installation as a means of stimulating thinking and engagement with research undertaken by the Centre, whilst sharing a positive vision for the future. The MRC CMM is a world leader in the innovative research needed to tackle the threat of fungal pathogens and how to prevent and treat those affected. Unlike other pathogens, fungi are the least studied and least understood, despite the fact they kill around 1.5 million people each year. As a result, the MRC CMM is focused on highlighting the huge burden posed by these diseases and in bringing the important work being done to the public eye.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/medicalmycology/news/articles/sculptingmedicalmycology-.html
 
Description News release: Three Exeter researchers win Discovery Fellowships 
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 Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact News release: Three University of Exeter researchers have been awarded prestigious Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) Discovery Fellowships. BBSRC awards the fellowships to early-career researchers with the "potential to become a future research leader". The Exeter researchers are Dr Jasmine Ono of the Environment and Sustainability Institute, Dr Luis Yanez Guerra of the Living Systems Institute, and Dr Jane Usher of the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology. Dr Usher's work focusses on the human fungal pathogen Candida glabrata, which can cause illness including serious disease in patients with impaired immune systems. The pathogen can resist many immune responses and anti-fungal drugs, so Dr Usher will sequence the genomes of highly resistant strains to improve scientific knowledge and pave the way for better treatments.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/medicalmycology/news/articles/threeexeterresearcherswin.html
 
Description News release: Vice Chancellor, Prof Lisa Roberts visits the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology 
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 Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact New release: Vice Chancellor, Prof Lisa Roberts visits the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology. The MRC CMM were delighted to welcome our Vice Chancellor, Professor Lisa Roberts, to the MRC Centre on Thursday 11 November. This visit, which had been delayed by several months due to COVID, was to celebrate the success of the renewal of MRC CMM earlier in the year to which the VC directly contributed. The VC was shown around the laboratories and its facilities and introduced to Centre members. Several scientists and trainees took the opportunity to discuss their ongoing scientific projects with the VC.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/medicalmycology/news/articles/vicechancellorproflisarob.html
 
Description News release: Whole-genome sequencing reveals new secrets about killer fungus 
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 Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact News release: Whole-genome sequencing reveals new secrets about killer fungus. New research from the University of Exeter reports the largest ever whole-genome sequencing project for the potentially fatal yeast infection Candida glabrata from hospitals across Scotland. Candida glabrata is a type of yeast that can cause disease in humans. It most commonly affects the urinary tract, genitals, mouth, and the bloodstream. If it is not caught, these infections can become deadly. It also has a very high resistance to certain antifungal drugs, so understanding why resistance occurs is key to knowing how to treat it effectively.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/medicalmycology/news/articles/whole-genomesequencingrev.html
 
Description Newsletter No.2: Spring update from the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Newsletter No.2: Spring update from the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://mailchi.mp/68625588f74c/advanced-registration-for-mycotalks-7774229
 
Description Newsletter No.3: Summer update from the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Newsletter No.3: Summer update from the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://mailchi.mp/ae6dd34d373b/advanced-registration-for-mycotalks-8225021
 
Description Newsletter No.4: Autumn update from the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Newsletter No.4: Autumn update from the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://mailchi.mp/5fa4a170a776/advanced-registration-for-mycotalks-9373133
 
Description Newsletter No.5: Winter update from the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Newsletter No.5: Winter update from the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://mailchi.mp/66727e9b31c9/advanced-registration-for-mycotalks-10418065
 
Description Nicolas Helmstetter: Poster presentation at the Fungal Genetics Conference Asilomar 2022 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Nicolas Helmstetter: poster presentation at the Fungal Genetics Conference Asilomar 16-20 March 2022, entitled 'F Population genetics and microevolution of clinical Candida glabrata reveals recombinant sequence types and hyper-variation within mitochondrial genomes, virulence genes and drug targets'.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://genetics-gsa.org/fungal-2022/
 
Description PE dedicated website 'Discover Medical Mycology' for MRC Centre for Medical Mycology 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Our PE dedicated website 'Discover Medical Mycology' for MRC Centre for Medical Mycology with sections for different target groups
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020,2021,2022
URL https://thefungalthreat.com/
 
Description Peter Cook: invited talk at Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Science (IBCS) seminar series 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Dr Peter Cook was invited to present a talk entitled 'Utilising flow cytometry to decipher the immune events that govern fungal driven asthma', at the Technical Seminar Series Seminar: Advanced Cytometry Tools - from Bench to Bedside, as part of the Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Science (IBCS), University of Exeter, seminar series.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/events/details/index.php?event=10900
 
Description Poster presentation by Alessandra da Silva Dantas at the UoE Postgraduate Life Sciences Society virtual Poster Conference (2-4 June 2020) 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Poster presentation by Alessandra da Silva Dantas at the UoE Postgraduate Life Sciences Society virtual Poster Conference (2-4 June 2020) with the poster entitled: 'Cross-talk between signalling pathways prevents chitin over-expression and loss of fungal viability', by Alessandra da Silva Dantas*, F. Nogueira, K.K. Lee, L.A. Walker and N.A.R. Gow.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Poster presentation by Alexander Currie at the UoE Postgraduate Life Sciences Society virtual Poster Conference (2-4 June 2020) 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Poster presentation by Alexander Currie at the UoE Postgraduate Life Sciences Society virtual Poster Conference (2-4 June 2020) with the poster entitled: 'CFTR modulators dampen Aspergillus-induced reactive oxygen species production by Cystic Fibrosis phagocytes', by Alexander Currie*, Ellen Main, Darius Armstrong James, Heather M Wilson and Adilia Warris.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Poster presentation by Christina Nikolakopoulou at the UoE Postgraduate Life Sciences Society virtual Poster Conference (2-4 June 2020) 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Poster presentation by Christina Nikolakopoulou at the UoE Postgraduate Life Sciences Society virtual Poster Conference (2-4 June 2020), with the poster entitled: 'Characterisation of the novel C-type lectin, MeILec, in antifungal immunity', by Christina Nikolakopoulou*, Mark Stappers, Alex Clark, Vishukumar Aimanianda, Delyth Reid, Patawee Asamaphan, Mihai Netea, Agostinho Carvalho, Jean-Paul Latgé, Janet Willment and Gordon Brown.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Poster presentation by Emily Speakman at the UoE Postgraduate Life Sciences Society virtual Poster Conference (2-4 June 2020) 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Poster presentation by Emily Speakman at the UoE Postgraduate Life Sciences Society virtual Poster Conference (2-4 June 2020) with the poster entitled: 'Novel C-type lectin receptors mediate T cell immunity during systemic Candida albicans infection', by Emily Speakman*, Ivy Dambuza, Fabian Salazar and Gordon Brown.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Poster presentation by Matt Edmondson at the UoE Postgraduate Life Sciences Society virtual Poster Conference (2-4 June 2020) 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Poster presentation by Matt Edmondson at the UoE Postgraduate Life Sciences Society virtual Poster Conference (2-4 June 2020) with teh poster entitled: 'Up regulation of chitin drives inflammatory responses during Candida albicans infection in Galleria mellonella', by A. da Silva Dantas, Matt Edmondson* and N. Gow
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Poster presentation by Zoe K. Ross at the UoE Postgraduate Life Sciences Society virtual Poster Conference (2-4 June 2020) 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Poster presentation by Zoe K. Ross at UoE Postgraduate Life Sciences Society virtual Poster Conference (2-4 June 2020) with the poster entitled: 'WGS approaches to elucidate the evolution of chromosome organization in Candida auris', by Zoë Ross*, Gustavo Bravo Ruiz, Neil Gow and Alexander Lorenz.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Press Release and media coverage of paper: A Weakened Immune Response to Synthetic Exo-Peptides Predicts a Potential Biosecurity Risk in the Retrieval of Exo-Microorganisms 
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 Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Press Release and media coverage of paper: A Weakened Immune Response to Synthetic Exo-Peptides Predicts a Potential Biosecurity Risk in the Retrieval of Exo-Microorganisms by Schaefer et al., https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8071066.
Worldwide news coverage resulting from press release regarding a newly published paper. Headlines are: 108 articles and a total "reach" (maximum possible number of people reached) of 1.6 billion.
Very strong international pickup for this - from a big range of countries.
Released on 17 July 2020.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/archive/2020/july/title_807010_en.html
 
Description Prof Adilia Warris' expert reaction to an urgent alert - Science Media Centre 
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 Professor Adilia Warris was interviewed for an expert reaction to an urgent alert issued to doctors by the Paediatric Intensive Care Society (PICSUK) regarding a serious coronavirus-related condition in children.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-an-urgent-alert-has-been-issued-to-doctors-abo...
 
Description Prof Gordon Brown interviewed in the University of Cape Town News following his recognition by the Royal Society 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Prof Gordon Brown was interviewed in the University of Cape Town News following his recognition by the Royal Society
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.news.uct.ac.za/article/-2020-05-08-royal-society-recognises-fungal-infection-researcher
 
Description Professor Adilia Warris was quoted in articles for The Times, The Daily Mail, The Independent and Yahoo! News USA, and also spoke on Spotlight, BBC Radio 4 and Head Topics UK.. 
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 Professor Adilia Warris was quoted in articles for The Times, The Daily Mail, The Independent and Yahoo! News USA about a new coronavirus-related condition seen emerging in children. She also spoke about children and the coronavirus on Spotlight, BBC Radio 4 and Head Topics UK.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=61b9c9b5-4589-4830-a246-fcdf0d168fa4
 
Description Public perceptions of medical mycology, Microbiology Today October 2020 Issue 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Article entitled 'Public Perceptions of Medical Mycology', published online in Microbiology Today, October 2020 Issue, by Lorna Hosler-Barnes, Alberto Muñoz and Gordon D Brown.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://microbiologysociety.org/publication/current-issue/fleming-prize-winners/article/public-perce...
 
Description Rhys Farrer - Invited talk at the 11th International Conference on Cryptococcus and Cryptococcosis (ICCC2020), Kampala, Uganda 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Rhys Farrer's Invited talk at the 11th International Conference on Cryptococcus and Cryptococcosis (ICCC2020), Kampala, Uganda. https://www.iccc2020.org/
Due to the covid poandemic the new dates are 10-14 January 2022.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.iccc2020.org/
 
Description Sidmouth Science Festival 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Public were invited to manipulate a hands-on exhibit to understand how we use imaging and modelling to describe cell function.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.sidmouthsciencefestival.org/
 
Description Studies of Aspergillosis at the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology: World Aspergillosis Day 2022 (Elaine Bignell) 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Patients, carers and/or patient groups
Results and Impact An overview (for patients suffering from Aspergilloses) of ongoing research aimed at tackling the problem
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.aspergillosisday.org/WAD2022/national-aspergillosis-centre-seminar-series/
 
Description Theresa Wacker, Petruta Morvay and Carolina Coelho: MRC I'm a Scientist, Stay at home Medical Research Zone 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact Three MRC CMM members signed up for the MRC 'I'm a Scientist, Stay at home Medical Research Zone': PhD student Theresa Wacker, Senior Researcher Dr Petruta Morvay and Lecturer Dr Carolina Coelho. This activity runs until 20th July 2020. In the Medical Research Zone, classes and youth groups connect with scientists and their teachers during school closure. Classes get a 40-minute live chat with scientists and can ask follow-up questions. All UK schools and youth groups (hello Guides, Scouts and Community Groups!) are able to take part.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://medical20.imascientist.org.uk/
 
Description Theresa Wacker: BMS talk presentation 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Student Theresa Wacker presented a BMS talk entitled: 'Repetitive DNA in the evolution of amphibian killer fungi', on the 23 Feb 2022.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://mailchi.mp/92633993f45a/bmstalkfeb2022?e=fb013e003d
 
Description Theresa Wacker: Genome Informatics Conference 2020 (Wellcome Genome Campus) 
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 MRC CMM PhD student Theresa Wacker atteneded Genome Informatics Conference 2020 (Wellcome Genome Campus). This was a three day virtual conference focused on genomics and genome informatics. It featured talks and poster sessions, as well as a networking opportunity via slack.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Theresa Wacker: oral presentation at the Fungal Genetics Conference Asilomar 2022 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Theresa Wacker: oral presentation at the Fungal Genetics Conference Asilomar 16-20 March 2022, entitled 'Repeat-driven genome expansion and twospeed genome architecture of amphibian-infecting chytrids'.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://genetics-gsa.org/fungal-2022/
 
Description Thomas Harrison: Meningitis expert joins Exeter fungal research centre 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Press release/news story on Prof Thomas Harrison, a leading expert on infectious diseases has joined a fungal research team at the University of Exeter. Released on 9 Sept 2020.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/staff/title_814413_en.html
 
Description Thomas Harrison: Speaker at JPIAMR Webinar, 28th April 2021 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Prof Thomas Harrison presented a talk at JPIAMR Webinar, 28th April 2021, entitled 'Supporting Transnational Research Collaboration on Fungal Drug Resistance', organised by MoH Israel.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Tihana Bicanic: Chair at Myco-clinics S1E2, held on 03 Dec 2021 
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 Dr Tihana Bicanic chaired the Myco-clinics S1E2, held on 03 Dec 2021, with the topic 'COVID-19 Associated Pulmonary Aspergillosis'.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/medicalmycology/mycoclinics/
 
Description Tihana Bicanic: speaker at Mycotalks S1E9, held on 01 Mar 2021 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Dr Tihana Bicanic, Hon. Member of the MRC CMM, presented a talk at the Myco-Talk S1E9 on 1st march 2021 entitled 'Emergence and mechanism of fluconazole resistance in human cryptococcosis'.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/medicalmycology/mycotalks/
 
Description University of Exeter Christmas Science Lecture Series 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact Held online due to COVID-19 pandemic. Presentation about my research to students in Year 10-12 across a range of schools around the UK. Questions were sent in after they had seen the video, and I answered in a second recording that was sent to the same students.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/teachers/visitingyou/workingwithpre-16/#a2
 
Description University of Exeter Scholar Programme 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this course was held remotely in 2020. I recorded a lecture to describe the research field I work in to a group of Year 12 students who watched online.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/exeterscholars/