How do _Candida auris_ and other fungi develop drug resistance? A microbiologist explains

Multidrug-resistant fungal infections are an emerging global health threat. Figuring out how fungi evade treatments offers new avenues to counter resistance.

Jeffrey Gardner, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County • conversation
May 3, 2023 • ~7 min

How a mind-controlling fungal parasite turns insects into zombies

Postdoc Carolyn Elya sheds light on how parasitic fungus hijacks the nervous system of flies.

Rohini Subrahmanyam • harvard
April 18, 2023 • ~7 min

From the bed sheets to the TV remote, a microbiologist reveals the shocking truth about dirt and germs in hotel rooms

The filthy secrets of hotel rooms and why you might want to pack disinfectant on your next trip.

Primrose Freestone, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Microbiology, University of Leicester • conversation
March 21, 2023 • ~7 min

Pancakes won't turn you into a zombie as in HBO's 'The Last of Us,' but fungi in flour have been making people sick for a long time

Raw flour at the store still contains live microorganisms. And while cooking can kill the fungi, it doesn’t destroy any illness-causing mycotoxins that might be present.

Sheryl Barringer, Professor of Food Science and Technology, The Ohio State University • conversation
March 7, 2023 • ~8 min

Faeces, urine and sweat – just how gross are hot tubs? A microbiologist explains

Relaxing in filth – you may never want to use a Jacuzzi or hot tub again after reading this.

Primrose Freestone, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Microbiology, University of Leicester • conversation
Feb. 7, 2023 • ~7 min

'Vaccinating' frogs may or may not protect them against a pandemic – but it does provide another option for conservation

Amphibians have been devastated by a chytrid fungus pandemic. Researchers immunized California red-legged frogs in Yosemite to give them a fighting chance at survival, with surprising results.

Andrea Adams, Researcher in Ecology, University of California, Santa Barbara • conversation
Dec. 16, 2022 • ~8 min

Ants – with their wise farming practices and efficient navigation techniques – could inspire solutions for some human problems

Over hundreds of million years of evolution, ants have come up with some pretty smart solutions to problems of agriculture, navigation and architecture. People could learn a thing or two.

Scott Solomon, Associate Teaching Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Rice University • conversation
Nov. 15, 2022 • ~9 min

Yeast discovery could lead to antifungal drugs

Yeasts infect about 150 million people a year and kill about 1.7 million, especially those who are immunocompromised.

Mikayla Mace-Arizona • futurity
Oct. 13, 2022 • ~6 min

Summer swimming season may be over, but you can still get swimmer's ear – and you don't even need to go in the water

Perhaps surprisingly, it’s possible to get swimmer’s ear without a dip in the pool, lake or ocean. Two doctors explain what this painful infection is and how to get rid of it.

Rex Haberman, Associate Clinical Professor of Otology and Neurotology, University of Florida • conversation
Sept. 30, 2022 • ~8 min

Test confirms palm ‘butt rot’ before it’s too late

New research makes it easier to diagnose a fungal disease called Ganoderma butt rot in palms before it's too late.

Lourdes Mederos-U. Florida • futurity
Aug. 10, 2022 • ~6 min

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