An innovative, interdisciplinary platform for the dissection of Pneumocystis, a deadly fungal pathogen of humans

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The goal of my research project is to enable a vital breakthrough in the study of a major fungal pathogen of humans. Pneumocystis kills hundreds of thousands of people each year, and yet only a few groups are studying this pathogen because, currently, it is not possible to culture it in vitro independently of its host. My goal is to release this major experimental bottleneck by developing, for the first time, in vitro culture methods for Pneumocystis. I will address this using a powerful combination of in silico metabolic modelling and experimental phenotyping. The potential benefits of my project are vast. In addition to providing major insights into the co-evolution of Pneumocystis pathogens with their mammalian hosts, my project will empower the research community, leading, in the longer-term, to dramatic advances in Pneumocystis biology and therapy.