Sven Krappmann
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Sven Krappmann
Department of Clinical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene
Professur für Klinische Mikrobiologie und Immunologie (Prof. Dr. Krappmann)
Wasserturmstraße 3
91054 Erlangen
Research area:
C/N-sources – fungal pathogenicity – immuno-metabolism – opportunistic infection – sporulation
Aspergillus fumigatus is a saprophytic filamentous fungus and causative agent of invasive aspergillosis, affecting predominantly immunocompromised patients. Its omnipresent, small, and hydrophobic conidia serve as infectious agents, and these dormant spores reflect the nutritional conditions supplied by the environment in which they were produced. Multiple factors determine virulence of A. fumigatus in the host, among them its metabolic versatility; yet, how the nutritional status of this fungal pathogen impacts its interaction with cells of host immunity is rather unexplored.
In a joint tandem project, we seek to unravel the impact of nutrient supply on conidial fitness and address the interaction of these infectious propagules with effector cells of the host immune system.