Hydrophobin proteins on the fungal frontline. This project aims to use advanced biophysical techniques to study the role of hydrophobin proteins in three diseases caused by fungi. The specific focus will be on hydrophobins from fungal species that cause severe loss of rice plants, cause invasive growths in humans, and infect the eggs of endangered turtles and result in death of the turtle embryos. Hydrophobins are small fungal proteins that assemble into large biological layers at the boundary ....Hydrophobin proteins on the fungal frontline. This project aims to use advanced biophysical techniques to study the role of hydrophobin proteins in three diseases caused by fungi. The specific focus will be on hydrophobins from fungal species that cause severe loss of rice plants, cause invasive growths in humans, and infect the eggs of endangered turtles and result in death of the turtle embryos. Hydrophobins are small fungal proteins that assemble into large biological layers at the boundary between the fungus and the host. This research aims to focus on characterising the structure of the layers, understanding how they form and how they attach to the host tissue. This work may lead to new antifungal strategies aimed at reducing the impact of these devastating fungal infections.Read moreRead less