Expert Profile

Andreas Seyfang

Professor

MOLECULAR MEDICINE | MORSANI COLLEGE OF MEDICINE

Research Terms & Keywords

Research Terms

Biochemistry Proteins Cell Biology Microbiology Molecular Biology Parasitology Molecular Parasitology Neurosciences Medical Sciences Cardiomyopathies Infectious Diseases Bacterial and Fungal Diseases Nosocomial Infections Parkinsons Disease Parasitic Diseases Tropical Diseases

Industries

Biotech Health Care

Research Projects

Ends

Title

08-2011

Biochemical Characterization of Cytochrome B5 Reductase in Candida Albicans Biochemical Characterization of Cytochrome B5 Reductase in Candida Albicans

03-2006

Structure-Function Analysis of Leishmania MIT Structure-Function Analysis of Leishmania MIT

Degrees

Ph.D., Biochemistry (magna cum laude)

University of Tübingen, Germany ▪ 1993
M.S., Parasitology/Zoology (minors: Microbiology, Physiology; Egyptology)

University of Tübingen, Germany ▪ 1989
M.S., Exchange Student, Zoology/Medical Parasitology

Duke University, Durham, NC ▪ 1984
B.S., Biology

University of Tübingen, Germany ▪ 1983

Awards & Honors

Outstanding Freshman Instructor Award

USF Second-year MD student class ▪ 2023
Distinguished Educator Award

USF Morsani College of Medicine – Academy of Distinguished Educators ▪ 2022
Outstanding Freshman Instructor Award

USF Second-year MD student class ▪ 2019
Award for Excellence in Teaching, PhD and Master's Program

USF Graduate Program in Integrated Biomedical Sciences (GPIBS) ▪ 2019
Outstanding Freshman Instructor Award

USF Second-year MD student class ▪ 2017
Outstanding Pre-Clinical Teaching Award

USF Third-year MD student class ▪ 2017
Recognition of Outstanding Dedication to Teaching

USF Morsani College of Medicine ▪ 2015
Best Poster Award

International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE) Annual Meeting (June 23-26, 2012, in Portland, OR) ▪ 2012
Robert J. Grasso Award for Outstanding Dedication to Graduate Education

USF College of Medicine ▪ 2009
FCoE-BITT Grant “Characterization of Candida Cytochrome b5 Reductase as Pharmacological Target”

Florida Center of Excellence for Biomolecular Identification and Targeted Therapeutics (Role: PI, 05/2009 - 12/2011) ▪ 2009
NIH/NIAID F31 AI 084557-01 “Biochemical Characterization of Cytochrome b5 Reductase in Candida albicans”

NIH/NIAID (Role: Co-PI/Mentor, 07/2009 - 06/2011) ▪ 2009
SIPIN Grant “Characterization of a Neurogenesis Stimulating Factor from Human Umbilical Cord Blood Cells by Gene Expression and Proteomic Analysis”

USF Health Signature Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience (SIPIN) grant program (Role: PI, 03/2008 - 06/2010) ▪ 2008
Selection for Marquis “Who’s Who in Science and Engineering”

Marquis “Who’s Who in Science and Engineering” (9th Edition) ▪ 2006
NIH/NIAID R21 AI064050-03 “Structure-Function Analysis of Leishmania MIT”

NIH/NIAID (Role: PI, 04/2006 - 03/2009) ▪ 2006
FHT Grant 06-17 “Purification and Characterization of a Transformation Factor Secreted by a Rat Thyroid Tumor Cell Line”

Florida High-Tech Corridor Program (Role: PI, 06/2006 - 06/2011) ▪ 2006
Selection for Marquis “Who’s Who in American Education”

Marquis “Who’s Who in American Education” (7th Edition) ▪ 2005
Selection for Marquis “Who’s Who in America”

Marquis “Who’s Who in America” (60th Diamond Edition) ▪ 2004
AHA 0255567B, Grant-in-Aid “Pharmacology and Regulation of the myo-Inositol Transporter from Trypanosomatids”

American Heart Association, Southeast Affiliate (Role: PI, 10/2002 - 06/2005) ▪ 2002
AHA 0060347B, Beginning-Grant-in-Aid “Pharmacology and Regulation of the myo-Inositol Transporter from Leishmania”

American Heart Association, Southeast Affiliate (Role: PI, 07/2000 - 09/2002) ▪ 2000
Best Poster Award

Canadian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology ("Membrane Proteins in Health and Disease", April 2-5, 1998 in Banff, Alberta) ▪ 1998
AHA Postdoctoral Fellowship

American Heart Association (AHA), Oregon Chapter, Postdoc at Oregon Health Sciences University (Portland, OR), 1997-1999 ▪ 1997
Humboldt Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship

Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Postdoc at Oregon Health Sciences University (Portland, OR), 1995-1997 ▪ 1995
Postdoctoral Fellowship

Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale (FRM), Postdoc at University of Bordeaux (France), 1994-1995 ▪ 1994
EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowship

European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), Postdoc at University of Bordeaux (France), 1993-1994 ▪ 1993
Graduate Scholarship

Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds, MBL Woods Hole course ▪ 1991
Duke Summer Scholarship

Duke University Marine Lab scholarhip program ▪ 1985
DAAD Graduate Scholarship

German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Duke University exchange program, 1984-1985 ▪ 1984

Publications

Search Google Scholar for Andreas Seyfang OpenAlex Works Search

More Publications

"Relationship BetweenToxoplasma gondiiand Mood Disturbance in Women Veterans"

2015 ▪ Military Medicine

J.W. Beckstead; Maureen W. Groër; Andreas Seyfang; Teodor T. Postolache; Theresa M. Beckie; Allyson R. Duffy; Lisa A. Brenner;

https://openalex.org/W633569609
"Table of Contents"

2011 ▪ American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology

William Fraser; Shyam S Mohapatra; J.W. Beckstead; Robert H. Yolken; Dietmar Fuchs; Andreas Seyfang; Teodor T. Postolache; Pamela Andreatta; David Marzano; Diana Curran; Kathleen Kollitz; Leslie Meyn; Patricia Lohr; Mitchell Creinin; Rasha Gendy; Colin Walsh; Stewart Walsh; Emmanuel Karantanis; M Sean; Karen Merrell; Robert Goldenberg; Yinglei Lai; Jay Iams; Brian Mercer; Catherine Spong; Menachem Miodovnik; Hygriv Simhan; ; Peter; Ramen Chmait; Eftichia Kontopoulos; Lisa Korst; Arlyn Llanes; Ileana Petisco; Rube ´n; A Quintero; Margreet Teune; Aleid Van Wassenaer; Larry Sachs; Mary Sammel; Sandra Perrine; Marcia Ringel; Alison Cammack; Claudia Buss; Sonja Entringer; Carol Hogue; Calvin Hobel; Pathik Wadhwa; Maureen Groe ¨r;; J.-C Xiao; Karna Murthy; William Grobman; Todd Lee; Jane Holl; Benedicte Lesieur; Aminata Kane; Pierre Duvillard; Sebastien Gouy; Patricia Pautier; Catherine Lhommé; Philippe Morice; Catherine Uzan; Aris Antsaklis; Greece Austgulen; Phd Norway; Phillip Bennett; Dominique Cabrol; Pavel Calda; Ernesto Castelazo; Zi-Jiang Chen; China Conde-Agudelo; Colombia Gian; Carlo Direnzo; Joachim Dudenhausen; Canada Gogate; India Holzgreve; Jung Kim; Korea Marsal; Sweden Oyarzun; Chile Papp; Hungary Gamal; I Serour; Egypt Uldbjerg; Herman Van Geijn; Liliana Voto;

https://openalex.org/W4238934531
"Prenatal depression and anxiety in Toxoplasma gondii–positive women"

2011 ▪ American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Shyam S Mohapatra; J.W. Beckstead; Maureen W. Groër; Robert H. Yolken; J.-C. Xiao; Dietmar Fuchs; Andreas Seyfang; Teodor T. Postolache;

https://openalex.org/W2062997637

Memberships

International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE), Member; 2012 - present

Society for Neuroscience (SfN), Member; 2006 - present

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Member; 2000 - present

American Society for Microbiology (ASM), Member; 2000 - present

American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB), Member; 2000 - present

Peer Review Positions

Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) grants review, Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) grant review programme; 2009 - 2009

American Heart Association, Study Section R2 (Immunology & Virology; Microbiology/Microbial Pathogenesis), American Heart Association, Study Section R2 (Immunology & Virology; Microbiology/Microbial Pathogenesis); 2008 - 2010

US Department of Veterans Affairs, Research & Development Program, US Department of Veterans Affairs, Research & Development Program; 2007 - 2007

Louisiana Board of Regents/National Science Foundation (NSF), Louisiana Board of Regents/National Science Foundation grants review program; 2005 - 2007

American Heart Association, Southern & Ohio Valley Study Section 4B, American Heart Association, Southern & Ohio Valley Study Section 4B (Cell Transport & Metabolism; Immunology & Microbiology); 2004 - 2007

USUHS (Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences), USUHS (Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences) Intramural Research Program; 2004 - 2004

The Wellcome Trust, London (Infection & Immunology study section), The Wellcome Trust, London (Infection & Immunology study section); 2004 - 2004

US Department of Agriculture (USDA-NRI), US Department of Agriculture (USDA-NRI) Competitive Grants Program, Animal Health & Well-Being Program; 2003 - 2003

Professional Presentations

“Glu187, Asp300 and Glu429 in Conserved Cytoplasmic Sequence Motifs are Important for Transport Function of the Leishmania Inositol-Proton Symporter.”; “Membrane Proteins in Health and Disease”; Canadian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology, Banff, Alberta, Canada. (Apr 2, 1998); 1998

“Structure-Function Analysis of a Model Proton Symporter: The Leishmania myo-Inositol/Proton Transporter, MIT.”; Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA. (Jan 25, 1999); 1999

“Substrate Depletion Upregulates myo-Inositol Transporter and Uptake of Glucose and Adenosine in Leishmania.”; “Pathogenic Protozoa: Molecules, Structures and Mechanisms”; Forum of the Centre for Molecular Biology Heidelberg, Germany. (Mar 30, 1999); 1999

“Leishmania myo-Inositol/H+ Transporter MIT as a Model Proton Symporter from Early Eukaryotes: Structure-Function Analysis, Pharmacology, Regulation and MIT Knockouts.”; “Membrane Transporters: New Perspectives in Drug Delivery and Drug Targeting”; International Research Conference, Ascona, Switzerland. (Aug 8, 1999); 1999

“Leishmania myo-Inositol/H+ Transporter as a Model Proton Symporter from Early Eukaryotes: Structure-Function Analysis, Pharmacology, Regulation and MIT Knockouts.”; Tenth Annual Molecular Parasitology/Vector Biology Symposium, Athens, GA. (May 10, 2000); 2000

“Transporters in Protozoan Parasites: Pharmacological Target and Model Transporters in Early Eukaryotes”; FASEB (Federation of the American Society for Experimental Biology) Summer Research Conference, Tucson, AZ. (Jul 22, 2001); 2001

“Substrate Recognition and Pharmacology of myo-Inositol Transport in Trypanosoma cruzi.”; “Membrane Transporters: From Identification to Drug Delivery”; PharmaConference, Interlaken, Switzerland. (Aug 5, 2001); 2001

“Membrane Transporters and Nutrient Salvage in Parasitic Protozoa.”; Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA. (Feb 26, 2003); 2003

“Calmodulin-dependent Regulation of myo-Inositol Transport in the Protozoan Leishmania donovani.“; “Transporters and Drugs”; PharmaConference, Pontresina/St.Moritz, Switzerland. (Aug 5, 2003); 2003

“A Story of Candida albicans and his other Sugar-Coated Buddy, Cryptococcus neoformans.”; Microbiology and Biodefense Conference, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA. (May 7, 2004); 2004

“Multiple Site-Directed Mutagenesis of More Than 10 Sites Simultaneously.”; Georgia Life Sciences Summit 2004, Atlanta, GA. (Sep 24, 2004); 2004

“Myocarditis- Infections of the Heart.”; American Heart Association, Florida/Puerto Rico Affiliate Headquarters, St. Petersburg, FL. (Nov 8, 2005); 2005

“Calmodulin-dependent Regulation of myo-Inositol Transport in the Protozoan Leishmania donovani.”; 22nd Meeting of The German Society for Parasitology, Vienna, Austria. (Feb 24, 2006); 2006

“Pharmacological Significance of Inositol Metabolism: From Microbial Pathogens to the Human Brain.”; 1st Annual Molecular Medicine Research Symposium, Tampa, FL. (Jun 8, 2006); 2006

“Structure-Function Analysis and Regulation of Leishmania myo-Inositol Transporter MIT.”; 2nd Annual Molecular Medicine Research Symposium, Tampa, FL. (Jun 21, 2007); 2007

“Post-Transcriptional Regulation of the Leishmania myo-Inositol Transporter by Substrate Depletion.”; 23rd Meeting of The German Society for Parasitology, Hamburg, Germany. (Mar 6, 2008); 2008

“Protozoan Parasites as Risk Factors in Transplantation: Chagas’ Disease, Leishmaniasis, and Toxoplasmosis.”; LifeLink® HealthCare Institute, Tampa, FL. (Oct 1, 2008); 2008

“Protozoan Parasites as Risk Factor in Cardiac Transplantation Surgery: Chagas’ Disease and Toxoplasmosis.”; LifeLink® HealthCare Institute and TGH Cardiac Transplant Program, Tampa, FL. (Oct 23, 2008); 2008

“Chagas Disease and Leishmaniasis as Risk Factors in Blood Transfusion.”; Claro Scientific, Inc. and Florida Blood Services, St. Petersburg, FL. (Apr 15, 2009); 2009

“Leishmania myo-Inositol Transporter MIT: Drug Delivery and Novel Therapeutic Target.”; “Leishmania – Collaborative Research Opportunities in North Africa and the Middle East”; NIH/NIAID and Institut Pasteur de Tunis Conference, Tunis, Tunisia. (Jun 23, 2009); 2009

“Trypanosoma brucei myo-Inositol Transporter TcMIT: Drug Delivery and Novel Therapeutic Target.”; International Symposium on the Centennial of the Discovery of Chagas Disease, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Jul 9, 2009); 2009

“Opportunistic Microbial Pathogens: Chagas Disease and Leishmaniasis as Risk Factors in Blood Transfusion.”; Hillsborough Community College, Tampa, FL. (Oct 5, 2010); 2010

“Candida albicans Cytochrome b5 Reductase as Novel Pharmaceutical Target.”; USF Signature Interdisciplinary Program in Allergy, Immunology & Infectious Diseases (SIPAIID) seminar series, Tampa, FL. (Nov 4, 2010); 2010

“Candida Cytochrome b5 Reductase as Novel Target for Rational Drug Design.”; USF Department of Chemistry colloquium, Tampa, FL. (Mar 29, 2011); 2011

“Biochemical and Pharmacological Characterization of Cytochrome b5 Reductase as Novel Therapeutic Target in Candida albicans.”; "Human Fungal Pathogens: Molecular Mechanisms of Host-Pathogen Interactions and Virulence"; Fourth FEBS Advanced Lecture Course on Human Fungal Pathogens: Molecular Mechanisms of Host-Pathogen Interactions and Virulence, Nice-La Colle sur Loup, France. (May 12, 2011); 2011

"Assessment of an Adjusted vs. Fixed Pass Line for Student Performance in a Medical School Curriculum"; International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE) Annual Meeting, Portland, OR. (Jun 25, 2012); 2012

Other Professional Activities

Laboratory of Medical Microbiology and Molecular Parasitology: Research in the Seyfang laboratory focuses on two major projects (i) membrane permeases (transporters) as target for drug delivery and (ii) cytochrome b5 reductase as enzymatic drug target in opportunistic microbial pathogens including protozoan parasites and nosocomial and neuro-pathogenic fungi (Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans). Membrane transport proteins in pathogenic microorganisms are of particular interest as they form the primary interface between microorganism and human host to interfere with their physiological functions. As the gatekeepers of the cell, these permeases control specificity and quantity of nutrient acquisition from the host and hence are an attractive pharmacological target for delivery of cytotoxic and parasite-specific substrate analogues and drugs. We are studying the biochemistry and molecular pharmacology of membrane transporters (permeases) for essential nutrients and vitamins as targets for rational drug design and as vehicles for drug delivery in opportunistic microbial pathogens including protozoan parasites (Leishmania and trypanosomes), which include the etiological agents of devastating and often fatal diseases such as kala-azar/leishmaniasis, Chagas’ heart disease and sleeping sickness. Furthermore, our laboratory studies the biochemistry and pharmacology of membrane transport in the opportunistic pathogenic fungi Candida and Cryptococcus neoformans, which are important oral, nosocomial and/or neuro-pathogenic pathogens and of increasing medical significance owing to the HIV disease/AIDS pandemic and the development of drug resistance. We have chosen the myo-inositol transporters in these pathogens as a novel target since inositol is an essential precursor for the glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchors of protective and/or immunomodulatory surface molecules in parasitic protozoa and pathogenic fungi, and GPI-anchored surface molecules are about 1000 times more abundant on the cell surface of these parasites than on mammalian cells. Hence, we are employing a multi-disciplinary approach of biochemistry, proteomics, molecular pharmacology and genetics to probe the structure-function relationship, substrate/drug selectivity, protein-protein interaction, and significance for microbial pathogenicity of these membrane proteins at the molecular level in both in vitro culture and animal models. Our laboratory could show that inositol transport in Leishmania, trypanosomes and the two pathogenic fungi Candida and Cryptococcus is active and proton-coupled but sodium-independent, in contrast to the sodium-coupled inositol transport in the intestine and kidney of the human host. Using drug design based on the specificity of substrate recognition of the Leishmania model myo-inositol/H+ transporter MIT, we have started to develop fluorinated inositol analogues and could already show strong inhibition of cell growth in Leishmania by the inositol analogue 3-fluoro-myo-inositol. A second project investigates cytochrome b5 reductase as enzymatic drug target in these opportunistic microbial pathogens. Cytochrome b5 reductase (Cb5r) plays an important role in P450-mediated detoxification of xenobiotics and drugs, lipid biosynthesis, and the synthesis of cholesterol (humans) or ergosterol (fungi, Leishmania and Trypanosoma cruzi). Hence we use recombinant Cb5r protein for biochemical, structural and pharmacological studies and in silico modeling as a novel pharmacological target in these opportunistic microbial pathogens. TECHNIQUES that are employed in the laboratory, include all aspects of protein biochemistry and molecular biology, proteomics, microarray and real-time PCR gene expression analysis, site-directed mutagenesis, targeted gene disruption and reverse genetics, pharmacology of microbial drug targets, molecular parasitology, and medical microbiology.

Technologies

Isolation and Cultivation of Lung Microbiome and Use Thereof

Competitive Advantages: Novel method for treatment of various chronic lung diseases, Help screen lung microbiome of healthy donors, Amplification of an otherwise limited resource. Disclosed herein is a method to isolate and cultivate the lung microbiome obtained from bronchoalveolar lavage. The disclosed method involves lung microbiome culturomics based on three different media for both aerobic and fastidious anaerobic bacteria. The disclosed method allows for amplification of the lung microbiome, which can be used, for example, for subsequent testing of antibiotic sensitivity, drug resistance, or for lung microbiome transplantation. Chronic lung diseases such as asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis, or lung transplant patients critically depend on a beneficial lung microbiome as part of the healing process and/or to revert their chronic lung disease. Hence the favorable modulation of lung microbiota obtained from healthy donors may impact the host immune response to reduce progression of lung diseases. Since the microbiome of the lung has relatively less bacterial biomass when compared to the lower gastrointestinal tract it is difficult to obtain sufficient quantities of lung microbiome samples for direct clinical analysis. Researchers at the University of South Florida have developed a procedure for the isolation and cultivation of lung microbiome from patients with chronic lung diseases. Bronchoalveolar lavage was used to isolate and subsequently cultivate and amplify the lung microbiome from patients based on three different media that allow the growth of aerobic and fastidious anaerobic lung bacteria. This novel procedure to isolate, cultivate, and amplify the lung microbiome of patients to sufficient quantities can have several applications, including microbiome testing in a clinical laboratory setting, antibiotic sensitivity testing, drug resistance testing, and amplification and transplantation of naturally occurring lung microbiome

Co-Investigator Network

Websites

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Contact Information

seyfang@usf.edu

(813) 974-2332

Morsani College of Medicine, MDC 7
University of South Florida
12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.
Tampa, FL 33612

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