Invasive fungal infections cause significant global mortality, yet therapeutic options remain limited to three mechanistic drug classes. Our research uses intrinsically multidrug-resistant Scedosporium and Lomentospora species — WHO priority pathogens — as model systems to study constitutive resistance mechanisms and identify novel therapeutic targets.
Through international collaborations, we are building a comprehensive Asia-Pacific strain biobank and applying 4D multi-omics integration (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics) to map the molecular networks underlying pan-resistance. Candidate targets are functionally validated using a CRISPR-Cpf1 genome editing platform developed specifically for these species, and translated into therapeutic strategies through nanomedicine delivery systems, drug repurposing screens, and in vivo efficacy testing.
Because this pipeline targets organisms with the highest baseline resistance, the resulting discoveries are directly transferable to other clinically important pathogens such as Candida auris and azole-resistant Aspergillus.