Defense: November, 15^th. 2011

Research of antifungal compounds from the Amazonian biomass by a bio-inspired approach

Human fungal diseases are responsible for 20% of deaths in immunosuppressed individuals. Although, an intensive global research on this topic has developed over the past 10 years, yet the therapeutic arsenal remains limited and is often helpless in the face of invasive and resistant strains. So, the development of new more efficient and safer antifungal drugs is an urgent need. In this works, we use a bio-inspired approach for the discovery of novel bioactive natural products representing a promising biotechnological tool for the development of new drugs. Our research aims at understanding the chemical resistance mechanisms of durable woods against fungi; and our ultimate goal is to isolate from these woods and identify antifungal compounds that could be used for the treatment of human fungal diseases.

PhD Director

Didier Stien, CNRS.

Student funded by the European Union.