One of the largest problems in medicine today is fungal pathogenesis. The eukaryotic nature of fungi is similar to their hosts, which include humans. Due to these similarities it is difficult to develop novel drugs against their infection. Through the development of a host-pathogen system, host factors involved in resistance may be identified. Saccharomyces cerevisiae causes a pathogenic response in wild type Caenorhabditis elegans, characterized as swelling of the anal region of the organisms. We developed an assay to test the immune response of mutant strains of C. elegans. Eight out of thirteen mutant strains displayed a deformed anal region (Dar) on the fourth day of the assay. One mutant strains, bus-4, had no visible pathogenic response to the S. cerevisiae.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Kelly, Linsley A.
• O'Brien, Brendan M.

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-042607-111156

Advisor

• Politz, Samuel M.
• Rao, Reeta Prusty

Year

• 2007

Date created

• 2007-04-26

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Biology & Biotechnology

Rights statement

• In Copyright

Last modified

• 2021-02-02