Fungal Persistence
Fungal Persistence - Related Videos
04:54
In Vitro Persister Assay: A Method to Evaluate the Effect of Osmolytes on Bacterial Persistence
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2025
In this video, we demonstrate a method to evaluate the effect of osmolytes on the formation of bacterial persisters. The bacterial cells are first exposed to osmolytes to induce osmotic stress, triggering persister formation, then treated with antibiotics to enumerate the persisters.
08:52
Live-cell Video Microscopy of Fungal Pathogen Phagocytosis
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Cited by 22 •
2013
We describe methods for live-cell video microscopy of Candida albicans phagocytosis by macrophages. These methods enable stage-specific analysis of macrophage migration, recognition, engulfment and phagosome maturation and reveal novel aspects of phagocytosis.
07:31
Microbial and Fungal Diversity - Student Protocol
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2019
Examining Microbial Colony Structures ExpandTo begin, collect your allocated culture plates and then remove the Parafilm and lid from one of them. Place the uncovered plate under a dissecting microscope and then observe the individual communities within each quadrant of the plate. As the colonies are identified, fill out the observed colony properties in the appropriate column in the table. Click Here to download Table 1 Then, repeat the observations for each of the other two bacterial species.
05:06
Microbial and Fungal Diversity - Concepts
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2019
Bacteria and fungi are two highly diverse groups of organisms that can have significant beneficial or detrimental impacts on human health. For this reason, it is important to understand and distinguish between individual species of these groups. As you will recall, biological taxonomists group organisms based on their phylogenetic relatedness. The three domains of life, Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukaryota segregate life into three distinct groupings. While all bacteria fall within the domain...
02:58
A zWEDGI Technique to Visualize Fungal Pathogen-Infected Zebrafish Larvae
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2025
The video demonstrates a zebrafish wounding and entrapment device technique for observing fluorescently labeled fungal pathogen infection in zebrafish larvae. Initial infection attracts macrophages, and as infection persists, neutrophil recruitment progresses at the injection site.
FAQs
Persistence reflects coordinated adaptation rather than a single survival mechanism. Fungi may alter their growth state, form biofilms, adjust metabolism when nutrients are limited, and evade immune attack while facing antifungal exposure. Studying these responses together is important because their combined effects can help fungi remain established and can make infection harder to clear.
Metabolic flexibility allows fungi to adjust their use of available resources when host or environmental conditions restrict nutrient access. This response supports continued survival under limitation instead of relying on one fixed metabolic state. In infection research, examining this adaptability can reveal vulnerabilities that might be targeted to weaken long-term fungal establishment.
Changes in growth state and biofilm formation represent distinct ways fungi can organize their survival during prolonged stress. These features are studied in relation to antifungal exposure and immune attack because they may contribute to the difficulty of clearing established infections. Their involvement also helps explain why some fungal diseases can persist or recur over time.
Immune evasion reduces the effectiveness of host immune control, allowing fungal populations to remain established despite ongoing immune attack. Within immunology and infection research, this mechanism is considered alongside growth changes, biofilms, and metabolic adaptation rather than in isolation. Understanding these interactions helps clarify why certain infections become chronic and difficult to eliminate.
A persistence study can examine fungal responses to nutrient limitation, antifungal exposure, and immune attack, then relate those responses to altered growth states, biofilm formation, metabolic flexibility, and immune evasion. Comparing these mechanisms helps researchers identify which adaptations support extended establishment. The resulting information can guide the search for weaknesses relevant to antifungal treatment and host control.
These studies can identify vulnerabilities created by the adaptations that sustain fungi during prolonged stress. Such vulnerabilities may inform strategies designed to improve antifungal treatment or strengthen host immune control. The broader outcome is a clearer explanation of why established infections may resist clearance or recur, supporting research aimed at limiting chronic infection rather than addressing only short-term fungal growth.