Analyzing Interactions Between Candida albicans and other Microbes

Candidiasis represents the fourth most frequent nosocomial infection in the US and worldwide. These infections carry unacceptably high morbidity, mortality rates and important economic repercussions. C. albicans can grow as yeast cells, pseudohyphae, hyphae or within a biofilm. The ability to form hyphae and biofilms have been fundamentally linked to the disease causing potential of this organism. However, studies have focused on either C. albicans in isolation or whilst it alone is infecting a host. Outside of the laboratory C. albicans is typically surrounded by, and occupying the host with, other non-related microbes that can be a significant part of the environment C. albicans is reacting to. Here we demonstrate the development of a rapid screening technique that can be used to quickly identify and examine interactions between Candida albicans and other microbes and demonstrate some of the genes regulated as part of such processes