Identification of new pathways and compounds that enhance Caspofungin and Voriconazole activity against Aspergillus fumigatus

• Grant number: 22/08556-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: October 01, 2022
• End date: July 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Biology and Physiology of Microorganisms
• Principal Investigator: Gustavo Henrique Goldman
• Grantee: Laura Cristina Garcia Carnero
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto (FCFRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/04977-5 - The identification of new pathways and compounds that can enhance caspofungin activity against Aspergillus fumigatus, AP.TEM

Abstract

This project has the following objectives: (i) to screen the LifeArc library (https://www.lifearc.org/) for compounds that can synergize caspofungin or voriconazole in A. fumigatus wild-type and caspofungin-, and voriconazole-resistant strains (ii) to characterize the mechanisms of action of the most promising compounds found in the LifeArc library, by several tools such as screening of null mutant libraries (transcription factor, kinase, and phosphatase libraries) and (iii) to characterize the transcriptional profiling of A. fumigatus wild-type and a putative more drug sensitive null mutant when exposed to one of the selected compounds through RNAseq. (AU)