Candida albicans: Cellular and Molecular Biology

Prof. Rajendra Prasad has recently joined Amity University, Gurgaon as Director of the Amity Institute of Biotechnology and Amity Integrative Sciences and Health. He is a former Professor & Dean of the School of Life Sciences at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, where he served for 40 years in various capacities which included Chairman of Molecular Medicine and Rector (Pro-Vice-Chancellor). Holding a Ph.D. from the Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, Prof. Prasad has also served as a visiting professor at several universities and institutes, including the Ecole Normale Superieure - CNRS Paris, France; Catholic University, Louvain-la - Neuve, Belgium; Technical University, Valencia, Spain; Bristol Mayer Squib, Princeton, USA; University of Darmstadt, Germany; and New York Medical College, USA. Prof. Prasad is a recipient of the Royal Society Commonwealth Bursary, Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung Fellowship, Welcome Foundation Grant, and the Mercator Professorship at the University of Bonn. He is an elected fellow of all Indian Science Academies, a European Commission Focal Point Coordinator, and a Research Ambassador, Germany. He is also currently Vice President of the Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi. Prof. Prasad has published over 225 research papers and has handled 50 national and international grants. He is a leading molecular mycologist and has conducted trendsetting research in the area of antifungal clinical drug resistance.

Fungal infections.- Fungal infections- The South-Asian perspective.- Regulatory pathways during C. albicans infections.- Virulence mechanisms and regulation.- Signalling mechanisms in pathogenesis and virulence of C. albicans.- Biofilm development.- Biofilm development and resistance mechanisms.- Biofilm of C. albicans: development and regulation.- Host immune responses during infections.- Mechanism of drug resistance.- Structure- function analyses of Multi-drug transporters.- All about MFS multi-drug transporter of Candida albicans.- Inhibitors/Modulators of MDR transporters.- Inhibitors/Modulators of MDR proteins/transporters.- Anti-fungals.- Anti-microbial peptides.- Anti-candidial agents.- MDR1 and its regulation.- Genomics and Anti-fungal resistance.- Genomics and Anti-fungal resistance.- Lipids and Multi-drug resistance in Candida albicans.- Cell wall of Candida albicans and its role in virulence.- Hyphal morphogenesis of C. albicans.- Innate immune defences against fungal infections.