Background During host colonization, fungal plant pathogens secrete effector-like proteins that alter host cell physiology and target plant-associated microbes. However, rapid evolution and low sequen...

Fungi are widespread on our planet and essential for life as we know it, but how did they come about? Their last common ancestor lived hundreds of millions of years ago, but its characteristics, and t...

Liz Florez is a postdoctoral researcher in the Environmental Genomics group led by Eva Stukenbrock at CAU Kiel. Her research focuses on how fungal plant diseases infect crops and interact with the pla...

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The Botanic Gardens Kiel is setting new standards: It is the first institution in Germany to be officially accredited by the Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI). This prestigious accreditation certifies that the Botanic Gardens Kiel meets the highest international standards in research...

The rising prevalence of invasive fungal infections, particularly among immunocompromised individuals, has become a critical public health concern. However, antifungal drug development has not kept pace with this growing need, and treatment options remain limited to a small number of drug classes. The emergence of multidrug-resistant fungal pathogens, such as Candida auris, further exacerbates this crisis by reducing the efficacy of existing therapeutics and increasing the risk of treatment failure. In this study, we evaluate the antifungal potential of FK20, a random peptide mixture (RPM) composed of L-phenylalanine and L-lysine. FK20 displays potent activity against C. auris and other clinically relevant Candida species, impairs biofilm formation, and exhibits synergy with caspofungin. Importantly, FK20 limits the emergence of resistance and demonstrates therapeutic efficacy in a murine model of systemic candidiasis. These findings establish RPMs as a promising new class of antifungals with broad-spectrum activity and clinical potential against drug-resistant fungal infections.

This study introduces genome–host association (GHA), leveraging natural epidemics to map the genetic landscape of host adaptation in the pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici. Applied to 832 wheat fungal stra...

Plants are exposed to a variety of devastating pathogens, causing significant yearly yield losses. In order to facilitate infections, plant pathogens …

Emerging fungal pathogens have detrimental impacts on crops, animals, and humans, however little is known about their transition to a pathogenic lifestyle. This study demonstrates that the transition ...

22nd-26th September 2025

Mycorrhizal symbiosis has been fundamental to colonization of terrestrial ecosystems by plants, influencing population dynamics, biogeography, and their evolution. The emergence of the ancient arbuscu...

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The Department of Molecular Biology seeks a postdoctoral researcher who will work with forecasting and steering experimental evolution of antibiotic resistance. The employment is full-time for two yea

Evolvability—the capacity to generate adaptive variation—is a trait that can itself evolve through natural selection. However, the idea that mutation can become biased toward adaptive outcomes remains...

Microbial infections lead to drastic changes in the architecture and metabolism of the host cell. The inaugural FEBS EMBO Cell Biology of Host-Pathogen Interaction Advanced Course explores the mechan…

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Because of its high-quality seed protein and ability to thrive in marginal habitats, Chenopodium quinoa has been identified as an important emerging grain crop for global food security. However, the l...