Prof. D. Sullivan
Derek Sullivan, Associate Professor
Contact details: Tel: +353 (01) 612 7275, Email: derek.sullivan@dental.tcd.ie
Administrative responsibilities:
- Director of Research and Chair of Research Committee
- Co-ordinator of the 2nd Dental Science year
Teaching:
- Problem-based learning tutor for first and second year Dental Science
- Year co-ordinator for year 2nd year Dental Science
- Postgraduate (Ph.D.) research student supervision
Research Interests:
- Pathogenesis and epidemiology of pathogenic fungi.
The main theme of my research is the analysis of virulence in Candida species, in particular Candida dubliniensis andCandida albicans. This research involves the comparative analysis of the genomes and transcriptomes of these two very closely related species to identify the reasons for the disparity in their virulence. To date we have identified significant differences between the two species (e.g. absence of ALS3 and differential expression of SFL2 in C. dubliniensis) and we are currently investigating the role that these differences play in pathogenesis. Ongoing research into the epidemiology, population biology and drug resistance ofCandida species is also a priority.
Representative recent publications:
1. Spiering MJ, Moran GP, Chauvel M, MacCallum DM, Higgins J, Hokamp K, Yeomans T, d’Enfert C, Coleman DC, Sullivan DJ.(2010). Comparative transcript profiling of Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis identifies SFL2, a C. albicans gene required for virulence in a reconstituted epithelial infection model. Eukaryotic Cell. 9:251-265.
2. Enjalbert B, Moran GP, Vaughan C, Yeomans T, MacCallum DM, Quinn J, Coleman DC, Brown AJ, Sullivan DJ. (2009). Genome-wide gene expression profiling and a forward genetic screen show that differential expression of the sodium ion transporter Ena21 contributes to the differential tolerance of Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis to osmotic stress.Molecular Microbiology. 72:216-218.
3. Citiulo F, Moran GP, Coleman DC. Sullivan DJ. (2009). Purification and germination of Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis chlamydospores cultured in liquid media. FEMS Yeast Research. 9:1051-1060.
4. McManus BA, Sullivan DJ, Moran GP, d’Enfert C, Bougnoux ME, Nunn MA, Coleman DC. (2009). Genetic differences between avian and human isolates of Candida dubliniensis. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 15:1467-1470.
5. McManus BA, Moran GP, Higgins JA, Sullivan DJ, Coleman DC. (2009). A Ser29Leu substitution in the cytosine deaminase Fca1p is responsible for clade-specific flucytosine resistance in Candida dubliniensis. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. 53:4678-4685
6. Jackson AP, Gamble JA, Yeomans T, Moran GP, Saunders D, Harris D, Aslett M, Barrell JF, Butler G, Citiulo F, Coleman DC, de Groot PW, Goodwin TJ, Quail MA, McQuillan J, Munro CA, Pain A, Poulter RT, Rajandream MA, Renauld H, Spiering MJ, Tivey A, Gow NA, Barrell B, Sullivan DJ, Berriman M. (2009). Comparative genomics of the fungal pathogens Candida dubliniensis and Candida albicans. Genome Research. 19:2231-2244.