The pathogenic potential of environmental fungi

Supervisors

• Dr Leah Cuthbertson
• Dr Emma Marczylo (UK Health Security Agency)

Project description

Fungal infections are increasingly being recognised as a major health concern. They are estimated to affect around a billion people worldwide with over 1.5 million deaths per year, despite this there is still gaps in our understanding of fungal disease. In 2022 the WHO published their first fungal priority pathogen list where they outline the need for better understanding of mycological infections, diagnostics and treatments. The recent report of the death of 2 year old Awaab Ishak, as a direct result of prolonged fungal exposure within the home provides a timely reminder of the severe consequences of these infections.

Fungal respiratory diseases are an increasing clinical problem, particularly in those with compromised immune function or underlying respiratory disease. The environment provides a rich source of fungal contamination to the lungs. Individuals are estimated to inhale between 1,000 and 10 million fungal spores daily as a result of both indoor and outdoor air pollution. In recent years there has been an increase in the prevalence and diversity of disease-causing fungal species. Environmental pressures created by climate change may be playing a role in the raising prevalence of new fungal pathogens. These so call “emerging” fungal pathogens are often characterised by increased antifungal resistance and poor clinical outcomes.

This project aims to explore the pathogenic potential of environmental fungal isolates in the UK using a combination of culture and genomic methodologies. To do this, you will explore the sources and diversity of fungi in the home, workplace and outdoor spaces. Environmental isolates will then be interrogated to explore pathogenic potential and antimicrobial resistance in order to understand the environmental risk factors for fungal disease.

Our objectives are to:

1. Identify potential sources of potentially pathogenic fungi from the environment using both molecular and culture-based methodologies.
2. Establish pathogenic potential of fungal isolates from environmental sources compared to clinical isolates.
3. Establish the extent of antifungal resistance from environmental fungal species.

This exciting project is hosted by the University of Leicester Centre of Environmental Health and Sustainability with support from the UK Health Security Agency. This offers the unique opportunity of directly feeding relevant results into government groups to inform policy and guidelines.

You will gain extensive knowledge of fungi and their disease risks and employ state-of-the-art techniques to study the pathogenic potential and risk factors associated with fungi in the home, work and outdoor environments.