# Genomic and Phenotypic Diversity of a Human Gut Fungal Pathobiont

> **NIH NIH U19** · BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE · 2024 · $1,376,784

## Abstract

Summary
The fungus Candida albicans is a ubiquitous pathobiont of the human gastrointestinal tract (GIT). It is also the
most common cause of life-threatening fungal infections in the United States and other developed countries.
These infections generally arise as a result of dissemination from the GIT; therefore, the biology of this species
in its native niche is relevant to the initiation of disease, yet it has been neglected in molecular, immunological,
and genomic studies. To understand this important biology, it is paramount to diversify the spectrum of C.
albicans strains that are studied by including isolates derived from the human GIT. To date, GIT isolates
represent a tiny minority of publicly available C. albicans strains and genome sequences. We hypothesize that
there is a wide diversity of C. albicans strains in the human GIT and that these strains engage in a broad spectrum
of interactions with the intestinal epithelium reflecting differences in their ability to attach to, and invade, the
intestinal mucosa and to eschew local host defenses. The research proposed herein will define the genomic
diversity of this fungal species in the human GIT, illuminate the range of responses that distinct C. albicans
isolates elicit in the intestinal epithelium, and identify Candida loci associated with fitness of the fungus in the
GIT. The project builds upon world-class sequencing, computational, and experimental capabilities at Baylor
College of Medicine and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, leverages the largest
medical center in the world for human GIT-derived Candida isolates, and takes advantage of state-of-the-art
human organoid technology as well as mouse models of GIT colonization to probe the diversity of this medically
important fungus. Identifying fungal genetic markers associated with dissemination from the GIT will have
profound implications for the management of patients at particular risk for candidiasis.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10855866
- **Project number:** 2U19AI144297-06
- **Recipient organization:** BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** Michael C Lorenz
- **Activity code:** U19 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $1,376,784
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2019-04-15 → 2027-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10855866

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10855866, Genomic and Phenotypic Diversity of a Human Gut Fungal Pathobiont (2U19AI144297-06). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10855866. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*