César de la Fuente-Núñez obtained his PhD in Microbiology &Immunology at the University of British Columbia. In 2009, he received his Licenciatura (BSc, MSc) in Biotechnology at Universidad de León (Spain). His research interests include small cationic peptides as novel anti-biofilm agents and modulators of innate immunity, and the development of these novel drugs for the treatment of antibiotic-resistant infections. He has published 10 papers and reviews, and presented more than 15 posters at conferences. He is, with Dr. Robert E. W. Hancock, a co-inventor of a provisional patent application on the use of cationic anti-biofilm and innate defense regulator (IDR) peptides (U.S. Patent Application No. 61/870,655). He has been awarded a prestigious doctoral scholarship from the Fundación “la Caixa” and Fundación Canadá (Spain).  

de la Fuente-Núñez C,Mansour SC, Wang Z, Jiang L, Breidenstein EBM, Elliott M, Reffuveille F, SpeertDP, Reckseidler-Zenteno SL, Shen Y, Haapasalo M, Hancock REW. Anti-biofilm and immunomodulatory activities of peptides that inhibit biofilms formed by pathogens isolated from cystic fibrosis patients. Antibiotics. 2014;3:509-526.

Reffuveille F, de la Fuente-Núñez C,Mansour S, Hancock REW. A broad-spectrum anti-biofilm peptide enhances antibiotic action against bacterial biofilms. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2014; 58:5363-71.

de la Fuente-Núñez C, Reffuveille F, Haney EF, Straus SK, Hancock REW. Broad-spectrum anti-biofilm peptide that targets a cellular stress response. PLoS Pathog. 2014; 10:e1004152.

de la Fuente-Núñez C, ReffuveilleF, Fernández L, Hancock REW. Bacterial biofilm development as a multicellular adaptation: antibiotic resistance and new therapeutic strategies. Curr OpinMicrobiol. 2013; 16:580-9.

de la Fuente-Núñez C, Reffuveille F, Fairfull-Smith KE, Hancock REW.Effect of nitroxides on swarming motility and biofilm formation, multicellular behaviors in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2013; 57:4877-81.

 de la Fuente-Núñez C,Mertens J, Smit J, Hancock REW. The bacterial surface layer provides protection against antimicrobial peptides. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2012; 78:5452-6.

 de la Fuente-Núñez C, Korolik V, Bains M, Nguyen U, Breidenstein EB, Horsman S, Lewenza S, Burrows L, Hancock REW. Inhibition of bacterial biofilm formation and swarming motility by a small synthetic cationic peptide. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2012; 56:2696-704.

 Breidenstein EB, dela Fuente-Núñez C, Hancock REW. Pseudomonas aeruginosa: all roads lead to resistance. Trends Microbiol. 2011; 19:419-26.