Candida albicans is a commensal fungus in the gastrointestinal and vaginal tracts in healthy individuals. When host defenses are breached, disease symptoms can develop ranging from mild infections (oral thrush, mucocutaneous candidiasis) to more severe life-threatening fungal diseases (invasive candidiasis). Interaction between the fungus and host cells is a process that has not yet been fully quantified. Current treatments are insufficient and resistance to available drugs compromises effective patient management. Identifying and understanding fungal virulence factors, such as the adhesion strength between C.albicans and host cells is a prerequisite to find better treatments.
In this project, we developed a new technique based on microfluidics to assess the adhesion properties of various C.albicans strains with fibronectin. The cells were let to adhere on a fibronectin coated surface in a microchannel and washed away by a controlled fluid flow. The detachment of the C.albicans cells off the fibronectin was recorded and the percentage of remaining yeasts calculated using ImageJ software. The data was then compared with adhesion tests measured by Atomic Force Microscopy in an experiment conducted by Alexandre Berger to confirm the robustness of the microfluidics system.