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

我的研究项目的目标是使人类主要真菌病原体的研究取得重大突破。肺囊虫每年夺去数十万人的生命，然而只有少数研究小组在研究这种病原体，因为目前还不可能在体外独立培养它。我的目标是通过首次开发肺囊虫的体外培养方法来解决这个主要的实验瓶颈。我将使用硅代谢模型和实验表型的强大组合来解决这个问题。我的项目潜在的好处是巨大的。除了对肺囊虫病原体与其哺乳动物宿主的共同进化提供重要见解外，我的项目还将赋予研究界力量，从长远来看，在肺囊虫生物学和治疗方面取得巨大进展。

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.