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Cryptococcus neoformans

The encapsulated fungus Cryptococcus neoformans is the most common cause of fungal meningitis, with the highest rate of disease in patients with AIDS. This microbe has developed its virulence factors by interacting with other organisms in the environment. It enters into the human body via the respiratory tract and the infection is controlled in the lungs of people with normal immunity. When a person’s immune system is defective, C. neoformans moves into the bloodstream and the fungus disseminates with a particular propensity to infect the brain. We are interested in elucidating the mechanisms of central nervous system (CNS) invasion by C. neoformans and the interactions of the fungus with cells of the CNS including microglia, astrocytes, and neurons.

Lab Page

Current Projects

One of the projects of interest is elucidating the impact of C. neoformans chemical released in microglia purinergic receptors expression and chemotaxis.

Molecular Biology and other Technics

qPCR

It's a powerful laboratory technique used to amplify and quantify DNA or RNA sequences in real time.The technique is highly sensitive, specific, and capable of detecting low-abundance targets.

Protein Quantification by Western Blotting

It's a widely used analytical technique in molecular biology and biochemistry for detecting and quantifying specific proteins within a complex mixture, such as cell lysates or tissue extracts.

Immunofuorescence

Immunofluorescence is a powerful and widely used technique in cell biology and histology for visualizing the location and distribution of specific proteins or other antigens within cells or tissue sections.

Mouse Infection Model

A mouse infection model is an experimental system used in biomedical research to study the mechanisms of infectious diseases and evaluate potential treatments or vaccines in a controlled environment.

Jose David Valles