DrErnesto Cota
Associate Professor
Department of Life Sciences - Faculty of Natural Sciences
Orcid identifier0000-0002-4690-0683 (opens in a new tab)
- Associate ProfessorDepartment of Life Sciences - Faculty of Natural Sciences
- 020 7594 3689 (Work)
- 601, Sir Ernst Chain Building, South Kensington Campus, United Kingdom
BIO
RESEARCH INTERESTS
The adhesion of microbial pathogens to their target host cells is a highly specific process and a prerequisite for infection. To perform this function, pathogens have evolved molecules that display an intimate surface complementarity to extracellular host cell proteins, either in the external membrane or the extracellular matrix. In many cases, these microbial adhesins are able to replace native interactions in the host and trigger signalling cascades that 'cement' their binding and/or promote their internalisation into particular cell types. Importantly, these proteins are also among the first to interact with the immune system. As such, they represent good candidates for immunisation therapies, as diagnostic tools and as targets for drug design. Our research aims to determine the structures of these molecules, their complexes with host cell receptors and to investigate the events that occur during the establishment of the infection.
Our recent focus is on human fungal pathogens. Candida albicans is the most prevalent fungal pathogen in humans and a major source of life-threatening nosocomial infections. As an opportunistic pathogen, C. albicans establishes a complex interaction with the host immune system. Candida auris is an emerging multidrug resistant pathogen that has caused recent outbreaks worldwide. It is now classified as a critical priority pathogen by the World Health Organization (WHO). Defining the virulence factors that favour pathogenesis of these organisms is a pressing clinical need.
Two main projects in our lab:
- We are using a range of biophysical techniques to identify interactions established between Candida spp. and the serum proteome.
- We are developing cyclic peptides against surface proteins from Candida spp. as tools to diagnose fungal infections in the clinic.
The adhesion of microbial pathogens to their target host cells is a highly specific process and a prerequisite for infection. To perform this function, pathogens have evolved molecules that display an intimate surface complementarity to extracellular host cell proteins, either in the external membrane or the extracellular matrix. In many cases, these microbial adhesins are able to replace native interactions in the host and trigger signalling cascades that 'cement' their binding and/or promote their internalisation into particular cell types. Importantly, these proteins are also among the first to interact with the immune system. As such, they represent good candidates for immunisation therapies, as diagnostic tools and as targets for drug design. Our research aims to determine the structures of these molecules, their complexes with host cell receptors and to investigate the events that occur during the establishment of the infection.
Our recent focus is on human fungal pathogens. Candida albicans is the most prevalent fungal pathogen in humans and a major source of life-threatening nosocomial infections. As an opportunistic pathogen, C. albicans establishes a complex interaction with the host immune system. Candida auris is an emerging multidrug resistant pathogen that has caused recent outbreaks worldwide. It is now classified as a critical priority pathogen by the World Health Organization (WHO). Defining the virulence factors that favour pathogenesis of these organisms is a pressing clinical need.
Two main projects in our lab:
- We are using a range of biophysical techniques to identify interactions established between Candida spp. and the serum proteome.
- We are developing cyclic peptides against surface proteins from Candida spp. as tools to diagnose fungal infections in the clinic.
FACULTY
- Faculty of Natural Sciences
POSITION NAME
- Associate Professor