Cornell University has awarded two Schwartz Research Fund Visionary Grants to faculty members for high-risk research on fungal disease and antibiotic resistance. - Lori Huberman will study how fungi sense and grow toward hosts, potentially disrupting infection mechanisms.
- Heather Feaga will investigate bacterial communication during ribosome stress, aiming to improve antibiotic effectiveness. - The grants, each $300,000, are funded by Joan and Ronald Schwartz, former NIH scientists.
- The research addresses global health threats: fungal pathogens kill 3.8 million people annually, and antibiotic resistance is a growing crisis. These projects aim to open new lines of inquiry in life sciences, with potential for significant medical and agricultural impact.