Identifying Functional Target Genes of the Candida albicans Biofilm Network

The objective of this dissertation is to provide a framework to discover biofilm-specific antifungal drug targets of the opportunistic human fungal pathogen Candida albicans by answering two main questions: (1) which genes are functionally important for biofilm formation? (2) what are the primary roles of these genes during biofilm formation? In chapter one, I provide fundamental background information about C. albicans. In chapter two, I summarize the current understanding of the transcriptional regulatory circuits that govern three major developmental processes in C. albicans: biofilm formation, the white-opaque cell type switch, and the commensal to pathogen switch. In chapter three, I describe the findings of my main thesis project and highlight a set of genes that are part of the C. albicans biofilm regulatory network that are required for biofilm formation and play important roles in the different stages of biofilm development. Lastly, I conclude by summarizing the main points from each of the previous chapters and discussing their overall significance