Our specific research goals are to better characterize the diverse collection of pathogenic fungi isolated at Hamad Hospital in Qatar. With its diverse population of inhabitants Qatari hospitals have encountered increasing rates of fungal infections from a diverse group of pathogenic fungi. The central source for fungal infections arise as a result of the organism’s ability to adhere and grow as a biofilm on implanted medical devices. Treatment of fungal infections adds over $2.6 billion to healthcare costs in the United States alone. While Candida albicans is the primary source of fungal infections, the development of the antifungal echinocandins has resulted in the emergence of other fungi as pathogenic sources of infection. Hamad Hospital has isolated from patients various Trichosporon spp., Candida spp., Geotrichum capitatum, and Cryptococcus spp. To better understand these fungi the aim of this proposal is to assay these fungi’s ability to adhere to a substrate and form a biofilm. Essential to this study will be the comparison of multiple patient isolates for each species and comparison to the different fungal species. Gene expression of cell surface proteins will be analyzed for variation among different isolates and species. The genetic variation among isolates can lead to the identification of new functional adhesins. These findings will provide foundational information for improvement in biomaterials and therapeutics, with direct relevance to the Qatari population.