Mycosis, infectious diseases caused by fungi, are of paramount importance in Colombia and around the world, since they are opportunistic diseases, that is, affecting people with various risk factors, which poses a threat to public health with very high medical and economic burdens. The MICROS Group Research Seedbed was created to strengthen the research capabilities of students at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences to understand and address mycosis of global clinical importance, particularly those caused by the fungal genera Candida, Cryptococcus and Histoplasma, through activities employing experimental, clinical, epidemiological and genomic or bioinformatic methods.

Research Lines:

• Development, standardization and validation of immunological and molecular methods for the rapid and timely diagnosis of mycosis of medical importance.
• Molecular epidemiology of mycosis of medical importance.
• Study of host-pathogen interactions in systemic mycosis.
• Systemic mycosis immunology.
• Use of antimicrobial peptides in experimental models of systemic and localized mycosis.
• Genomic correlations of virulence and resistance in medically important fungi.

Objectives:

1. To delve into topics related to infectious diseases and clinical microbiology.
2. Develop skills, such as experimental procedures, literature research, research methods and data analysis, to conduct academic research in various areas of infectious diseases and clinical microbiology.

Mycosis, infectious diseases caused by fungi, are of paramount importance in Colombia and around the world, since they are opportunistic diseases, that is, affecting people with various risk factors, which poses a threat to public health with very high medical and economic burdens. The MICROS Group Research Seedbed was created to strengthen the research capabilities of students at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences to understand and address mycosis of global clinical importance, particularly those caused by the fungal genera Candida, Cryptococcus and Histoplasma, through activities employing experimental, clinical, epidemiological and genomic or bioinformatic methods.

Research Lines:

• Development, standardization and validation of immunological and molecular methods for the rapid and timely diagnosis of mycosis of medical importance.
• Molecular epidemiology of mycosis of medical importance.
• Study of host-pathogen interactions in systemic mycosis.
• Systemic mycosis immunology.
• Use of antimicrobial peptides in experimental models of systemic and localized mycosis.
• Genomic correlations of virulence and resistance in medically important fungi.

Objectives:

1. To delve into topics related to infectious diseases and clinical microbiology.
2. Develop skills, such as experimental procedures, literature research, research methods and data analysis, to conduct academic research in various areas of infectious diseases and clinical microbiology.