Whole genome sequencing of Candida albicans clinical isolates from a patient with Cystic Fibrosis (HBJ series)

Candida albicans chronically colonizes the respiratory tract of patients with Cystic Fibrosis (CF). It competes with CF-associated pathogens and contributes to disease severity. We hypothesize that C. albicans undergoes specific adaptation mechanisms that explain its persistent growth in the CF lung environment. To identify the underlying genetic and phenotypic determinants, we serially recovered 18 C. albicans clinical isolates (HBJ series) over a period of 9 months from the sputum of a CF patient and performed extensive phenotypic analyses together with whole genome sequencing in order to identify potential correlations between phenotypic alterations and genomic variations or polymorphisms.