How to tackle mouldy intruders – Fungi: silent killers or producers of life-saving antibiotics?

We are constantly breathing in spores of Aspergillus fumigatus: a pathogenic mould that is found everywhere in our environment. In healthy people, the immune system is usually able to successfully fight off the fungus. However, in people with weakened immune systems, it can survive in immune cells in the lungs and cause severe infections. Other pathogens also use similar strategies to evade the immune system.

The discovery of antibiotics was one of the greatest breakthroughs in modern medicine and has saved millions of lives. However, their widespread use has contributed to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. There is therefore a great need today for new antibiotics and alternative therapeutic approaches.

Antibiotics are small molecules that can specifically inhibit or kill microorganisms. In nature, they are produced by bacteria and fungi, amongst others, to gain the upper hand over competing microorganisms. These molecules form part of the chemical ‘language’ through which microorganisms communicate with one another. If we can decipher these chemical signals, we may discover new active substances that could form the basis of tomorrow’s antibiotics.