Infectious Fungi Are Loving Global Warming

Climate change has the potential to make fungi even more hazardous to our health, according to research at Duke University. Asiya Gusa's climate change research focuses on how warming temperatures affect fungal diseases, particularly Cryptococcus. Her team found that higher temperatures increase the fungus’s mutation rate, helping it survive.

With more drug-resistant fungi emerging because of climate change and aging populations, Gusa emphasizes the urgent need for new antifungal treatments to prevent a potential fungal pandemic.

Gusa is assistant professor of molecular genetics and microbiology.