Candidiasis is a serious disease caused by Candida albicans that affects over four billion people a year. Of those infected, 32,000 of them develop systemic infections in the US with a 30%-60% fatality rate. This type of infection is especially prevalent in immune-compromised individuals such as HIV-infected, diabetes and cancer patients. In this study, we mutagenized Caenorhabditis elegans and exposed them to C. albicans in order to isolate mutants resistant to the yeast infection. After survival tests of mutant C. elegans on C. albicans-containing media, three putative resistant strains were isolated for future analysis. Further characterization of these mutants may identify genes required for sensitivity to C. albicans infections and be useful in the study and prevention of Candidiasis.

• 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

• Cavanaugh, Emily
• Cox, Rachele Barbara
• Wang, Ting Ting

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-042413-171359

Advisor

• Buckholt, Michael Allan
• Politz, Samuel M.

Year

• 2013

Date created

• 2013-04-24

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Interdisciplinary
• Biology & Biotechnology

Rights statement

• In Copyright