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Faster gene screening method targets deadly fungus

Phys · · 778 words · By University
Genetic Engineering Medical Innovation Public Health Crisis

Researchers at the University of Guelph have developed a scalable CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) screening platform to identify drug targets in the fungus Candida albicans. This method allows for the simultaneous analysis of thousands of genes, potentially accelerating the development of antifungals to combat rising drug-resistant infections.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-05-faster-gene-screening-method-deadly.html

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10%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 95%
Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

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Loaded Language 70% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

13 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

info Single Source 4
check_circle Corroborated 3
schedule Pending 3
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“Researchers at the University of Guelph have developed a faster way to identify potential drug targets against a dangerous fungal pathogen, allowing for the study of hundreds or thousands of genes simultaneously instead of one at a time.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided web search results for this claim are completely irrelevant (discussing OnlyFans and comedians), providing no evidence for the University of Guelph research.
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web search NEUTRAL — Harper-Rose Drummond is an LA-based comedian and co-host of the Tea Time podcast. An epileptic performer, she has opened for Kordelya at The Echo, headlined PHX Beer Co. and the University of Idaho, a…
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https://onlyfans.com/
info
“The new system, developed in the lab of Dr. Rebecca Shapiro in Molecular and Cellular Biology”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence provided consists of general definitions of 'genes' from Wikipedia and Britannica, but does not mention Dr. Rebecca Shapiro or her lab.
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web search NEUTRAL — We define a gene as a DNA sequence that is transcribed. This definition includes genes that do not encode proteins (not all transcripts are messenger RNA). The definition normally excludes regions of …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene
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web search NEUTRAL — Jul 9, 2025 · Genes are segments of DNA that give your cells instructions for specific traits or body functions. Different versions of the same gene are called alleles.
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/gene
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web search NEUTRAL — May 13, 2026 · gene, unit of hereditary information that occupies a fixed position (locus) on a chromosome. Genes achieve their effects by directing the synthesis of proteins. In eukaryotes (such as a…
https://www.britannica.com/science/gene
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“The research, led by postdoctoral fellows Drs. Lauren Wensing and Philippe Després and published in Nature Microbiology, focuses on Candida albicans, a leading cause of life-threatening invasive fungal infections.”
CORROBORATED
Wikipedia confirms Candida albicans is a leading cause of invasive fungal infections. A Nature Microbiology source explicitly lists Lauren F. Wensing and Philippe C. Després as authors/researchers in the field of microbiology.
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web search NEUTRAL — Candida albicans is an opportunistic pathogenic yeast that is a common member of the human gut flora. It can also survive outside the human body. It is detected in the gastrointestinal tract and mouth…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candida_albicans
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web search NEUTRAL — Lauren F. Wensing. Philippe C. Després.Advancing microbiology through foundational science. Microorganisms have tremendous potential to impact humanity, but such revelations are only possible in the l…
https://www.nature.com/nmicrobiol/?error=cookies_not_support…
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web search NEUTRAL — Candida albicans is a common commensal fungus that colonizes the oropharyngeal cavity, gastrointestinal and vaginal tract, and healthy individuals’ skin. In 50% of the population, C. albicans is part …
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7912069/
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“there is widespread resistance now to the three of the four major classes of antifungals.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm there are only four major classes of antifungal drugs and that resistance is a growing, widespread risk, specifically mentioning C. auris as resistant to all three or all four classes.
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web search NEUTRAL — Currently, four antifungal drug classes are used by clinicians and veterinarians for systemic.This study explores a novel class of compounds (Quinones) for antifungal drug discovery. It highlights the…
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339884531_Antifunga…
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web search NEUTRAL — Emergence of Resistant Fungal Pathogens. Several fungal species have developed resistance to multiple antifungal drugs: Candida auris: Initially identified in 2009, C. auris spread rapidly around the …
https://microbe-investigations.com/blog/beyond-bacteria-the-…
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web search NEUTRAL — With only four major classes of antifungal drugs in clinical use, the options for treating fungal infections are limited, so there is an urgent need to develop new antifungal therapies. But developing…
https://www.soci.org/news/2026/5/antifungal-resistance-is-a-…
info
“the team adapted a process called CRISPR interference, or CRISPRi, which instead dials down, or represses, a gene's activity.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim contains only general definitions of 'research' and 'ResearchGate', with no mention of CRISPRi or the specific team's adaptation of it.
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web search NEUTRAL — Research, in its simplest terms, is a intentional search for knowledge. John W. Creswell states that "research is a process of steps used to collect and analyze information to increase our understandi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Research
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web search NEUTRAL — Access 160+ million publication pages and connect with 25+ million researchers. Join for free and gain visibility by uploading your research.
https://www.researchgate.net/
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web search NEUTRAL — 2 days ago · The Open Access journal Research, published in association with CAST, publishes innovative, wide-ranging research in life sciences, physical sciences, engineering and applied science.
https://spj.science.org/journal/research
info
“Shapiro's team focused on 130 fungal genes with no close human equivalent”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence mentions '130 fungal genomes' being sequenced in a different context (white nose fungus), but does not confirm Shapiro's team focused on 130 specific genes without human equivalents.
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web search NEUTRAL — Over 130 fungal genomes have been completely sequenced at the Broad and elsewhere, but the fungus that plagues bats is in a remote area of the fungal tree of life – the closest fungal species that has…
https://www.broadinstitute.org/news/researchers-sequence-gen…
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web search NEUTRAL — He studies how human-pathogenic fungi interact with the human body, adapt to their hosts and, under certain conditions, cause disease. In conversation with the two podcast hosts, Hube explains why fun…
https://www.leibniz-hki.de/en/news/the-underestimated-danger…
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web search NEUTRAL — genetic difference between humans, chimpanzees and bonobos.
https://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/genetics
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“The team identified 16 promising antifungal targets that remained sensitive to repression across multiple fungal strains, including drug-resistant patient isolates, and a variety of environmental conditions.”
CORROBORATED
A search result explicitly mentions 'Pooled CRISPRi screening reveals fungal-specific vulnerabilities' and the generation of a 'prioritized list of targets for antifungal drug discovery' based on repression-sensitive genes across diverse contexts.
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web search NEUTRAL — Multiple recombinant events in human T-cell Leukemia virus Type 1: complete...
https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/temi20/current
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web search NEUTRAL — By identifying fungal-specific, repression-sensitive genes that are essential for fungal viability across diverse environmental and genetic contexts, our study generates a prioritized list of targets …
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12803107/
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web search NEUTRAL — The antifungal targets presented in this review include fungal resistance factors, such.It is also included in drug resistance of both fungal biofilms and cells in the. planktonic growth conditions. [1…
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/358972238_Emerging_…
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“The research builds on earlier work by Wensing and Shapiro, which first adapted CRISPRi for use in a fungal pathogen in 2019.”
VERIFIED
Two separate sources explicitly confirm that the first application of CRISPRi in Candida species was demonstrated by Wensing et al. in 2019, specifically citing Wensing and Shapiro.
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web search NEUTRAL — CRISPR technology can be used in different ways to manipulate genomes that go beyond knockouts. In this article, we will cover two important methods of CRISPR-mediated gene activation and repression, …
https://www.synthego.com/guide/crispr-methods/crispri-crispr…
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web search NEUTRAL — The first application of CRISPRi in a Candida species was demonstrated using two different designs for applications in C. albicans (Román et al., 2019a; Wensing et al., 2019). One CRISPRi design fused…
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8525362/
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web search NEUTRAL — 2019; Wensing and Shapiro 2022). While a majority of CRISPR systems and other genetic manipulation platforms focus on.designed for CRISPRi (Wensing et al. 2019)), as well as upstream of the TSS (based…
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/362723179_Developme…
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“Ongoing work in Shapiro's lab is analyzing all 6,000 or so genes in the Candida genome.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for this specific claim.
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“In 2022, in recognition of the growing threat of fungal pathogens, the World Health Organization published the Fungal Priority Pathogens List, which includes the Candida species.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for this specific claim.
schedule
“Another fungal pathogen, Candida auris, was first identified in a patient in 2009 and has since spread globally”
PENDING
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“Shapiro's lab is beginning to test the system on other fungal pathogens, including species in the Cryptococcus genus.”
PENDING
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“Lauren F. Wensing et al, Pooled CRISPRi screening reveals fungal-specific drug target candidates, Nature Microbiology (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41564-026-02356-w”
PENDING
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.