Schedule

Experiments to be performed during the course

Unless stated otherwise, the experiments are performed as hands-on training.

Experiment 1: Galleria mellonella as alternative infection model

Exp. 1-1:     Introduction of Exp. 1 (theory)

Exp. 1-2:     infection of Galleria mellonella larvae

Exp. 1-3      daily: screening of pathogenicity

Experiment 2: Caenorhabditis elegans as alternative infection model

Exp. 2-1:     Introduction of Exp. 2 (theory)

Exp. 2-2:     infection of Caenorhabditis elegans worms

Exp. 2-3      daily: screening of pathogenicity

Experiment 3: Embryonated eggs as alternative non-mammalian infection model

Exp. 3-1:     introduction of Exp. 3 (theory)

Exp. 3-2:     infection of embryonated chicken eggs with different fungal species

Exp. 3-3      daily: screening of embryonic viability by candling

Experiment 4: Zebrafish facility at the FLI – guided tour (no hands-on training)

Experiment 5: Amoeba as natural phagocytes - Interaction with A. fumigatus

Exp. 5-1:     introduction, amoeba as models for infection and pathogenicity

Exp. 5-2:     methods for amoeba handling and cultivation

Exp. 5-3:     fungal cells as food sources for amoeba

Exp. 5-4:     phagocytic uptake and processing of conidia from A. fumigatus

Experiment 6: Interaction of C. albicans with primary immune cells

Exp. 6-1:     introduction (theory);

Different isolation methods for immune cells from human blood

Exp. 6-2:     Isolation of PBMCs from human blood

Exp. 6-3:     PBMC stimulation and inhibition of specific pathways in immune cells

Exp. 6-4:     Macrophage lysis by Candida albicans

Exp. 6-5:     ELISA

Experiment 7: Epithelial cells as infection model

Exp. 7-1:     introduction (theory)

Exp. 7-2:     infection of monolayers (oral and intestinal)

Exp. 7-3:     determination of adhesion, preparation of invasion assays (induced endocytosis and active penetration)

Exp. 7-4:     determination of damage

Exp. 7-5:     quantification of invasion