Host-microbe interactions: fungi invasive human fungal opportunistic infections

Jean-Paul's research interest is focused on the analysis of the structure and biosynthesis of the cell wall of Aspergillus fumigatus and its interaction with the host. The A. fumigatus genome will now be used to understand multifactorial systems such as fungal virulence of an opportunistic fungus in an immunocompromised host and assembly and regulation of cell wall polymer rearrangement under the control of the environment.     

Host-microbe interactions: fulfilling a niche

In vector-host-pathogen interactions, vector saliva plays a key role in the successful acquisition of blood and in facilitating the establishment of pathogens in mammalian hosts. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Narasimhan et al. describe how a tick salivary antioxidant neutralizes reactive oxygen species at the tick-host interface and facilitates the tick vector's acquisition of Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria from an infected mammalian host.