Foiling Fungi

Whether you are breathing in the fresh air of the countryside or the smog of the city, odds are you have inhaled hundreds of spores of fungi. Aspergillus fumigatus is one such fungus. Its coral-like colonies thrive in compost heaps across the country and when inhaled it’s soon destroyed by our immune system. However for people with weakened immunity, such as those with AIDS or leukaemia, this fungus can be deadly. Anti-fungal drugs can be used to combat its destructive effects. Applying one of a family of anti-fungal agents, called echinocandins, results in irrevocable damage by causing the tips of the fungal branches to rupture (seen here highly magnified by electron microscopy). And because they target only the fungal cell wall – the tough outer covering – human cells are left unharmed.

Written by Lux Fatimathas

Lux Fatimathas

Writer

Having pursued science through a career in research, communications and publishing, she is currently a writer and editor for a healthcare marketing agency and also juggles freelance science writing.

• Colin J. Ingham, Peter M. Schneeberger
• Jeroen Bosch Hospital, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands
• Originally published under Creative Commons (CC-BY 2.0)
• Published in PLoS ONE 7(4)