Fungal research: an opportunity too important to miss

Fungi are beautifully strange and diverse. They include familiar organisms such as yeasts and mushrooms, but also millions of species that science has yet to describe. Together, they form an entire biological kingdom, ranging from single-celled organisms to "the largest living organism on Earth". 

Found in every ecosystem on Earth, fungi are vital to nutrient cycles, forming underground networks that support plants. They underpin food systems and provide compounds used in medicines, from antibiotics and statins to some cancer treatments. 

But fungi can also cause serious disease, threaten crops and – increasingly – develop resistance to the limited treatments available. Fungal pathogens also risk spreading to new areas around the globe as climate change leads to rising temperatures and extreme weather events. Current estimates suggest that fungi cause over 2.5 million deaths each year. This figure does not capture the many more people who experience acute or chronic fungal infections.

Despite their importance, fungi remain poorly understood and researchers often lack the tools needed to study them. We need a much deeper understanding of fungal biology if we are to harness its benefits and respond to its risks. 

That is why, over the past three years, Wellcome has invested more than £135 million in a wide range of fungal research, from fundamental discovery science to new approaches for preventing and treating disease. 

Fungi are more closely related to animals than to plants. This makes them valuable subjects for understanding fundamental biology. 

As a result, the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is one of biology’s most extensively studied organisms. Research using yeast has transformed our understanding of genetics, cell division and other processes relevant to human health. 

Yet in the fungal kingdom, yeast is the exception. Scientists working with it have access to a rich toolkit built over decades. For many other fungal species, researchers still lack reliable methods to grow them in the laboratory, modify their genes or observe how they function. This restricts the questions they can ask and slows progress across the field. 

As part of Wellcome’s fungal programme, we are investing in the people, tools and infrastructure needed to advance fungal research. 

Cultivarium is developing methods to help researchers grow, transform and genetically manipulate fungal species that have historically been difficult to study. These tools are being developed as a community resource, shaped by the needs and expertise of fungal researchers. 

Research led by Liz Ballou is developing better ways to image fungi, helping researchers understand how they develop, interact with their environments and cause disease. 

These tools will expand fungal researchers’ ability to grow, manipulate and analyse a wider range of fungal species, enabling them to generate new knowledge about this extremely diverse kingdom. For instance, through a one-off targeted funding call, we are supporting 12 ambitious programmes examining how fungi use their genomes to adapt to changing environments. 

Large-scale initiatives are also expanding our view of fungal diversity. Projects involving the Wellcome Sanger Institute and EMBL-EBI are sequencing and identifying species through programmes including the Darwin Tree of Life. Other researchers are studying genetic material from ancient ecosystems through the Ancient Environmental Genomics Initiative for Sustainability (AEGIS). 

Alongside these initiatives, we fund researchers through our open, responsive funding schemes, supporting work across fungal biology, adaptation, disease and immunity.

Fundamental research gives us the basis for tackling urgent health challenges. Wellcome is also supporting work to turn scientific understanding into practical solutions. Fungal infections cause a substantial global health burden, particularly for people whose immune systems are weakened through illness or medical treatment – which will likely include many of us at some point in our lives. 

Yet there are only a small number of antifungal drug classes. At the same time, diagnostic options are limited and resistance to existing treatments is increasing. 

Across Wellcome, we are supporting research that includes: 

• developing new antifungal drugs
• testing combination therapies
• improving the management of invasive fungal disease 
• monitoring antifungal drug resistance through initiatives such as CAMO-Net
• understanding how mycotoxins affect children’s health in Kenya

Looking ahead, we are collaborating with partners to identify gaps in our understanding, particularly at the intersection of climate data and infectious disease, while listening to the communities most affected by fungi in their daily lives. This is important so that we can focus our support and investment in areas with the greatest need and greatest potential for impact on people’s health. 

Across this portfolio, we recognise that progress depends on more than developing individual treatments. Researchers also need shared tools, high-quality data, robust surveillance, appropriate infrastructure and opportunities for collaboration.

Fungal disease is beginning to receive greater international attention. In 2026, the World Health Organization published its Blueprint for strengthening responses to fungal disease and antifungal resistance, which identifies research and innovation as part of a coordinated global response. 

That growing recognition needs to be matched by a sustainable, collaborative and innovative research field. Much of the fungal kingdom remains unknown, but our ability to explore it is advancing. Investment in fungal research can deepen our understanding of life, open new possibilities for human health and strengthen our response to emerging threats.