Using Dielectric Spectroscopy to Detect and Predict the Real-Time Transition From the Yeast-Like to the Hyphal Phenotype of the Pleiomorphic Yeast Species Candida tropicalis.

Crynodeb

Non-albicans Candida Species (NACS) are considerably well-studied, especially within the medical industry, due to their opportunistically pathogenic nature, typically attributed to their pleiomorphism. The ability to grow in multiple phenotypic morphologies has been considered the cause of the yeast's virulence. However, there is an increasing interest in using some environmental isolates of Candida spp within the Industrial Biotechnology space, with many already being used within research groups worldwide – including Aberystwyth University. In this thesis, the study angle will focus solely on the Industrial biotechnology application of using NACS for fermentation-based industries. An environmental strain of Candida tropicalis named Y6604 was used throughout this project, the primary aim being to reliably control and detect a change in phenotype from yeast-like cells to hyphal cells. Many traditional – yet effective – methods of inducing a hyphal phenotype could not successfully be implemented due to expense or unsuitable media composition. This has led to the discovery and adoption of more industrially appropriate techniques for controlling the phenotype of a pleomorphic microorganism. ABER Instruments biomass probes are widely used in Industrial fermentations to monitor the cellular growth within a bioreactor through dielectric spectroscopy (DS). However, the scope of DS has yet to be fully explored for other industrial applications. Throughout this project, DS has been utilised to reliably detect the phenotypic transition from a yeast-like to hyphal phenotype in the pleiomorphic yeast C. tropicalis. This is the first time DS has been used to detect the phenotypic switch from a yeast-like to hyphal phenotype through non-invasive real-time monitoring, and it will help highlight DS's relatively unexplored potential.

Dyddiad Dyfarnu	2024
Iaith wreiddiol	Saesneg
Sefydliad Dyfarnu	Prifysgol Aberystwyth
Noddwyr	Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarships
Goruchwyliwr	David Bryant (Goruchwylydd) & Joe Gallagher (Goruchwylydd)