HELLENIC COLLECTION OF PATHOGENIC FUNGI

The Hellenic National Collection of Pathogenic Fungi – UOA/HCPF (University of Athens / Hellenic Collection of Pathogenic Fungi), acronym UOA/HCPF, was established in 1995 and constitutes an organized culture collection of pathogenic fungi operating within the School of Medicine of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, under the scientific supervision of the Department of Microbiology. It represents the principal research infrastructure of the country. The collection is a member of the European Culture Collections’ Organisation (ECCO) and includes primary and opportunistic pathogenic yeasts and filamentous fungi of human and animal origin, as well as their genetic material and metabolites.

Currently, the collection comprises a total of 2,462 strains of pathogenic yeasts and 1,065 strains of filamentous fungi, representing approximately 400 species of ascomycetous and basidiomycetous yeasts and approximately 186 species of filamentous fungi, including clinical isolates of mitosporic fungi, Basidiomycetes, Ascomycetes, and Zygomycetes.

The collection provides online search access to 773 yeast and fungal strains, of which 200 are reference strains. All publicly available strains have been characterized using a polyphasic identification approach.

The collection is dedicated to the isolation, preservation, and study of primary and opportunistic fungal pathogens affecting humans and animals, as well as their genetic material. It includes fungal strains of both clinical and environmental origin, which are used for research, diagnostic, and educational purposes in the field of medical mycology.

In addition, the collection hosts highly infectious primary and neurotropic pathogenic microorganisms, as well as primary and opportunistic human pathogens originating from European countries, India, China, Brazil, and Australia.

Objective of the Collection

The objective of the collection is the systematic preservation, identification, and documentation of pathogenic fungi, as well as the support of scientific research and the education of students and researchers.

In parallel, the collection contributes to international scientific collaboration through the provision of well-characterized strains to research networks and databases, thereby enhancing the study of fungal pathogenicity, epidemiology, and antifungal drug resistance.

Collections

The collection maintains thousands of strains of pathogenic yeasts and filamentous fungi.

It encompasses a broad fungal diversity, covering hundreds of different species, including both classical reference strains and contemporary pathogenic organisms of clinical and environmental relevance.

Activities & Services

The collection and its associated diagnostic units provide services to both the public and private sectors, which include:

Diagnostic testing: Microscopic examination and culture-based methods for the isolation of pathogenic fungi.
Identification: Application of conventional, phenotypic, and molecular techniques, including DNA sequencing analysis, for accurate fungal identification.
Antifungal susceptibility testing: Evaluation of yeast and filamentous fungi susceptibility to antifungal agents, in accordance with standardized protocols.
Ex situ preservation of fungal strains under controlled conditions for safe long-term storage and public distribution.
Management of strain deposits under two access categories, public and restricted, depending on usage and distribution conditions.
Distribution of yeast and filamentous fungal cultures for research, diagnostic, biotechnological, and pharmacological applications.
Distribution of fungal genetic material and metabolites for use in biotechnological and pharmacological research.
Isolation and identification of yeasts and filamentous fungi using conventional and modern molecular techniques from clinical specimens and samples related to public health, safety, and quality of life. Such samples include hospitals, public buildings, food, feed and beverages, sweets, recreational freshwater and marine environments, terrestrial environments and playgrounds, as well as historical and cultural heritage sites, including archaeological and Byzantine findings and artifacts.
Screening and characterization of fungal strains for the detection and evaluation of bioactive properties and potential applications.
Educational activities, including the training of undergraduate and postgraduate students, PhD candidates, and early-stage researchers in medical and applied mycology.
Provision of scientific consultancy services to research institutes, academic institutions, public organizations, and private entities.

Fungal Species in the Collection

The UOA/HCPF collection includes clinical isolates from both humans and animals, covering a broad spectrum of pathogenic fungi:

Yeasts: A large number of strains belonging to the genus Candida (e.g., Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, as well as the multidrug-resistant Candida auris), Cryptococcus, Trichosporon, and Malassezia.
Filamentous fungi (molds): Strains associated with opportunistic infections, including Aspergillus species (e.g., Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus), Fusarium, Scedosporium, as well as fungi belonging to the order Mucorales.
Dermatophytes: Fungi responsible for infections of the skin, nails, and hair, including species of the genera Trichophyton, Microsporum, and Epidermophyton.

Research Activities

The research activity of the Mycology Unit focuses on contemporary fields of medical and applied mycology, aiming to advance the understanding of fungal biology, pathogenicity, and epidemiology.

In particular, it includes:

Molecular phylogeny, investigating the evolutionary relationships among pathogenic fungi.
Identification and typing of pathogenic fungi, using high-resolution phenotypic and molecular methodologies.
Global fungal epidemiology, studying the geographic distribution and dissemination patterns of fungal infections.
Fungal pathogenesis, focusing on the mechanisms of virulence and host–pathogen interactions.
DNA barcoding of clinical fungi, enabling rapid and reliable species-level molecular identification.
Antifungal susceptibility testing, assessing resistance patterns and therapeutic response to antifungal agents.
Isolation and characterization of bioactive fungal metabolites, with potential biotechnological and pharmacological applications.
Development and optimization of culture media, to ensure optimal growth conditions for yeasts and filamentous fungi, as well as appropriate preservation and transport conditions.

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