Purification, characterisation and valorisation of novel antifungal compounds secreted by soil microorganisms

The rapid spread of resistance has resulted in an urgent need for novel antifungal drugs. We have isolated thousands of (previously uncultivable) soil microorganisms using iChip technology. Starting from 18000 fermentation products, we identified 380 that showed strong anti-Candida albicans activity. Using impedance spectroscopy on C. albicans biofilm cells, we previously showed that a specific class of antifungal drugs gives a specific response profile, that is different from that of another class of antifungals. These response profiles were used to prioritize the 380 fermentation products for those products that give completely different response profiles, indicating the presence of molecules with a different mode of action. By using chromatography and NMR, we aim to identify the active molecules present in these fermentation products as starting points for the development of novel classes of antifungal drugs.

Keywords:high-throughput mode of action, bio-assay guided purification, Candida albicans, soil microbiota, antifungal compounds

Disciplines:Bio-organic chemistry, Mycology