FunHitDisco: A Fungal Hit Discovery Platform

FunHitDisco

Treatment-resistant fungal infections cause millions of deaths and impact quality of life worldwide. Current antifungal options are limited, and resistance to these drugs is rising, demanding entirely new drug classes. Modifying existing drugs will only delay the inevitable resistance.

Aim

To address this, researchers propose FunHitDisco, a Fungal Hit Discovery Platform. Their approach uses novel chemicals, including compounds produced by bacteria in response to competition with fungi. They will also utilize a modular peptide library, barcoded with RNA, to screen for molecules active against fungal targets. Successful molecules will undergo optimisation for clinical potential.