Project description:On March 12, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 as a global pandemic. COVID-19 is produced by a novel β-coronavirus known as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) [1]. Several studies have detected SARS-CoV-2 RNA in urine, feces, and other biofluids from both symptomatic and asymptomatic people with COVID-19 [2], suggesting that SARS-CoV-2 RNA could be detected in human wastewater [3]. Thus, wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is now used as an approach to monitor COVID-19 prevalence in many different places around the world [4-10] . Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is the most common SARS-CoV-2 detection method in WBE, but there are other methods for viral biomolecule detection that could work as well. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of SARS-CoV-2 proteins in untreated wastewater (WW) influents collected from six wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), from Durham Region, Ontario, Canada, using a LC-MS/MS-based proteomics approach. We identified many SARS-CoV-2 proteins in these wastewater samples, with peptides from pp1ab being the most consistently detected and with consistent abundance.
Project description:Candida auris clinical isolate FY279 was exposed to tebuconazole (32μg/ml). Randomly14 adaptors were chosen. 10 adaptors obtained resistance to tebuconazole. These resistant adaptors were sequenced.
Project description:Wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) is a proven tool for monitoring population-level infection events. Wastewater contains high concentrations of inhibitors, which contaminate total nucleic acids (TNA) extracted from these samples. We found that TNA extracts from raw influent of Berlin wastewater treatment plants contained highly variable amounts of inhibitors that impaired molecular analyses like dPCR and next-generation sequencing (NGS). By using dilutions, we were able to detect inhibitory effects. To enhance WBS sensitivity and stability, we applied a combination of PCR inhibitor removal and TNA dilution (PIR+D). This approach led to a 26-fold increase in measured SARS-CoV-2 concentrations, practically reducing the detection limit. Additionally, we observed a substantial increase in stability of the time series. We define suitable stability as a mean absolute error (MAE) below 0.1 log10 copies/l and a geometric mean relative absolute error (GMRAE) below 26%. Using PIR+D, the MAE could be reduced from 0.219 to 0.097 and the GMRAE from 65.5% to 26.0% and even further in real-world WBS. Furthermore, PIR+D improved SARS-CoV-2 genome alignment and coverage in amplicon-based NGS for low to medium concentrations. In conclusion, we strongly recommend both the monitoring and removal of inhibitors from samples for WBS.
Project description:Candida auris (Candidozyma auris) is a yeast pathogen that poses a public health threat because of its ability to develop antifungal resistance. Notably, most C. auris isolates are resistant to fluconazole. The efflux pump Cdr1 is a key contributor of azole resistance in C. auris. In C. albicans, Cdr1 is regulated by the transcription factor Tac1, which has two orthologs in C. auris (Tac1a and Tac1b). While the role of Tac1b has been described, little is known about Tac1a. In this study, we characterized the respective roles of Tac1a and Tac1b in azole resistance. To investigate their transcriptional regulation and binding targets, we performed RNA sequencing and ChEC-seq (Chromatin endogenous cleavage sequencing) for both transcription factors. RNA sequencing was carried out by comparing hyperactivated mutants (TAC1a-HA or TAC1b-HA) with the wild-type strain IV.1. ChEC-seq was performed in strains carrying endogenous C-terminal MNase fusions (TAC1a-MNase and TAC1b-MNase) and in a control strain expressing ectopically MNase (Free MNase). Both Tac1a and Tac1b mediate azole resistance in C. auris via regulation of Cdr1, with overlapping downstream targets and evidence of autoregulation.
Project description:Candida auris reference strain B11221 was spread on YPD plate supplemented with 8 μg/ml tunicamycin. Randomly 25 adaptors (T2080-T2104) were chosen. These adaptors and the parent were sequenced.
Project description:Candida auris clade III isolate B11221 was spread on YPD plate supplemented with 8 µg/ml tunicamycin. Randomly 18 adaptors were chosen for further analysis. We did sequencing of these 18 adaptors as well as the parent.
Project description:Candida auris is amongst the most important emerging fungal pathogens, yet mechanistic insights in its immune recognition and control are lacking. Here, we integrate transcriptional and functional immune cell profiling to uncover innate anti-C. auris defense mechanisms. C. auris induces a specific transcriptome in human mononuclear cells, a stronger cytokine response compared to C. albicans, but a lower macrophage lysis capacity. C. auris-induced innate immune activation is mediated through recognition of C-type lectin receptors, mainly elicited by structurally unique C. auris mannoproteins. In in-vivo experimental models of disseminated candidiasis, C. auris was less virulent than C. albicans. Collectively, these results demonstrate that C. auris is a strong inducer of innate host defense and identify possible targets for adjuvant immunotherapy.