Whiteway Lab

Our ongoing research investigates the medically important fungal pathogen Candida albicans, with the ultimate goal of identifying new treatment options for patients suffering from Candida infections. We use an array of genetic and genomic approaches to investigate pathways involved in various C. albicans functions. As part of these efforts we collaborated with various international research teams in the assembly and annotation of the C. albicans genome.

We are now using genome-based tools such as transcriptional profiling and ChIP-chip analysis to investigate regulatory circuits in the pathogen. We have identified dramatic cases of transcriptional rewiring of central metabolic pathways, synchronized cells and established the transcriptional profile of the C. albicans cell cycle, and investigated the regulation of the fungal mating system.

We are also screening an extensive library of conditional C. albicans mutants using various physiological and chemical treatments through the Functional Genomics robotic facility at Concordia. This will allow us to explore, tailor, and understand the subtleties that make C. albicans a human pathogen.