Major University of Exeter breakthrough in global fight against deadly fungal infections

The University of Exeter has announced a major new investment in its international effort to combat antifungal resistance which is a growing global health concern that threatens both human and agricultural systems. 

An additional £1.1 million in funding has been awarded to the University’s FAILSAFE project (Fungal AMR Innovations for LMICs: Solutions and Access For Everyone), bringing its total funding to more than £2.8 million in just one year. 

Managed by the University’s MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, the project supports research into fungal antimicrobial resistance (fAMR), which is increasingly limiting treatment options for life-threatening infections. 

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The initiative, backed by the UK Department of Health and Social Care’s Global AMR Innovation Fund (GAMRIF), has already funded 135 researchers across 82 countries. 

The latest round will support 28 new projects tackling antifungal resistance through drug development, diagnostics, surveillance, and vaccine research with a particular focus on low and middle-income countries, where fungal diseases have the greatest impact. 

Fungal infections kill as many people each year as tuberculosis or malaria, but remain comparatively under-researched.

Many treatments are losing effectiveness as resistance grows, raising concerns for patients with weakened immune systems, including cancer patients and transplant recipients.

Professor Elaine Bignell, co-lead of FAILSAFE at the University of Exeter, said: “We are thrilled to support a new cohort of outstanding researchers dedicated to addressing the global crisis of fungal AMR. By investing in these 28 projects, we are not only advancing scientific discovery but also building vital research capacity in regions most affected by fungal diseases.”

Two of the newly funded studies will be led by University of Exeter researchers, including projects exploring novel antifungal therapies and helminth-secreted products as potential new treatments.

Dame Sally Davies, the UK Government’s Special Envoy on Antimicrobial Resistance, said the work was essential to building global resilience against future health threats: “Fungal antimicrobial resistance is a growing threat that affects humans, animals, and the environment, yet it remains one of the least studied areas of AMR research. The University of Exeter’s leadership in this field is helping strengthen the global fungal AMR research community and drive innovative, One Health solutions.”

Since its launch in 2024, FAILSAFE has grown into a global network of more than 830 researchers, linking medical scientists and clinicians to share data and accelerate innovation in fungal disease prevention and treatment.

The University’s ongoing research also includes collaborations with institutions in Brazil, South Africa, Pakistan, and Colombia, supporting projects that range from developing new antifungal medicines to improving environmental monitoring of resistant fungal strains.