FuRTHER: Fungal ncRNAs as epigenetic virulence factors
The FuRTHER (Fungal RNA Transmission Impacting Human Epigenome Regulation) project is investigating a class of potential virulence factors that has received little attention to date: non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) from human pathogenic fungi. The focus is on novel mechanisms by which ncRNAs could specifically interfere with the epigenetic regulation of host genes through RNA:DNA triplex formation – a possible form of interkingdom communication. The aim is to decipher the role of these ncRNAs in infections caused by Aspergillus fumigatus and Candida albicans. The project combines bioinformatic analyses with microbiological and biochemical methods to identify new epigenetic attack pathways of fungal infections and to develop potential therapeutic target structures. The project is being carried out in collaboration with Amelia Barber and Holger Bierhoff from Friedrich Schiller University in Jena.
