Helical Pathogens – HelPath

Helically coiled filaments are ubiquitous in nature. They are observed at different scales, from molecular to multi-cellular structures, giving them great biological and ecological relevance. When confined under constrained physical space, helical filament leads to the formation of non-linear, multi-stable meandered structures - termed the family of “squeelices”.
We have observed helical and “squeelical” behaviors in the filamentous yeast Candida albicans, a benign member of the human microbiota that can turn into one of the most lethal opportunistic fungal pathogens of humans.
In this project, we propose an interdisciplinary approach combining genetics, cell biology, biophysics, mechanics and microfluidic tools to provide a comprehensive and mechanistic view of the oscillatory growth of C. albicans hyphae, addressing the biophysical and molecular basis of this phenomenon and deciphering its associated consequences in terms of tissue invasion.
We will draw consequences of confined helix models and their possible extensions/refinements for algorithmic decision making in micro-labyrinth navigation. We will actively look for links between tissue invasion and directional decision making abilities to potentially establish a new predictive score for invasion.
Overall, we hope to provide a new conceptual toolkit for understanding helical shapes of growing cells and assess whether this generic growth modality represents an evolutionary advantage for invasive filamentous organisms living in complex environments.