Researchers from Monash University in collaboration with the University of Warwick have discovered how the bacterial antibiotic 'gladiolin' can disarm Candida albicans, one of the leading causes of life-threatening fungal infections, opening new avenues for developing life-saving treatments.
Published in Current Biology, the breakthrough is the latest outcome from the Monash Warwick Alliance Programme in Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), a long-term strategic collaboration bringing together researchers from both institutions to tackle one of the world's most pressing health challenges.
Led by researchers from the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute , the study reveals that gladiolin can switch Candida albicans from its tissue-damaging, invasive 'hyphae' form back into its benign, round yeast form.
Lead author Professor Ana Traven , from the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, said although gladiolin was discovered several years ago as an antibiotic made by bacteria, its activity against fungal pathogens had remained poorly understood.
"The thread-like hyphae of Candida albicans allow the fungus to penetrate and damage human tissue and form drug-resistant biofilms, leading to dangerous infections," Professor Traven said.
"We've discovered gladiolin effectively 'switches off' this aggressive behaviour, pushing the fungus back into its less harmful 'yeast' state.
"This gives us a different way to think about controlling fungal infections, not just by killing the fungus, but by disarming it."
First author Dr Manasa Bharathwaj, research fellow at the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, said gladiolin has a very interesting property, whereby it changes the metabolism of Candida albicans, inducing the pathogen to consume more glucose in its environment.
"Since glucose is important for the invasive hyphae to grow, gladiolin tricks Candida to use up its glucose supply more quickly, forcing it to switch back to its less invasive yeast state," Dr Bharathwaj said.
This new study builds on a 2024 discovery led by Professor Traven and Professor Mibel Aguilar, from the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, along with Professor Greg Challis . Both Professor Traven and Professor Challis serve as co-Directors of the Monash Warwick Alliance Program in Antimicrobial Resistance.
The latest research showed that gladiolin dramatically boosts the effectiveness of one of the world's most important antifungal medicines, amphotericin B.
Together, the two studies show that naturally occurring bacterial molecules like gladiolin can tackle dangerous fungi in multiple ways, both by boosting the effectiveness of existing antifungal drugs and by switching off one of the fungus's key disease-causing behaviours.
Professor Challis said this finding helps to identify new ways to tackle infections that are becoming increasingly difficult to treat.
"Importantly, our findings suggest that gladiolin could help existing drugs kill dangerous fungal pathogens, including drug-resistant biofilms that can form on medical devices, while potentially allowing lower, less toxic doses of antifungal drugs to be used," Professor Challis said.
"This is an exciting example of how interdisciplinary and international collaboration can open up new approaches to antimicrobial resistance."
The findings add to a growing body of research emerging from the Alliance's strategic investment in antimicrobial resistance research.
Approaching its 15th anniversary, the Monash Warwick Alliance brings together the world-class expertise, resources, and infrastructure of Monash University and the University of Warwick to deliver high impact research and develop the global talent and expertise needed to address the challenges of the future.
Antimicrobial resistance is one of the key challenges the Alliance's grant funding schemes have addressed.
"Fungal infections kill an estimated two million people worldwide each year, yet treatment options remain limited," Professor Traven said.
"Modern medicine, from surgery and cancer treatment to organ transplantation and intensive care, depends on our ability to prevent and treat these life-threatening infections.
"There are no vaccines for fungal infections, and some of the antifungal medicines we do have can be highly toxic, highlighting the urgent need for new ways to prevent and treat these diseases."
While Candida albicans normally lives harmlessly in the human body, it can cause life-threatening infections in critically ill or immunocompromised patients, particularly when it grows on medical devices such as catheters.
"In nature, microbes compete for nutrients and space by producing molecules that are toxic to their microbial neighbours," Professor Traven said.
"We can harness these natural 'microbial warfare' molecules to discover new medicines.
"Penicillin is perhaps the best-known example. It's a molecule made by a fungus to kill competing bacteria, that's become one of the world's most effective antibiotics for treating human infections.
"We're applying the same principle to gladiolin, exploring whether these naturally occurring bacterial molecules can inspire new ways to treat deadly fungal infections."
Read the research paper: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2026.07.057
