Over 1.3 billion people are affected by a disability, which the United Nations defines as “those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others”, with about 80% of those individuals of working age. Additionally, the acknowledgement of neurodiversity in the workplace demands inclusion. Utilizing a huge dataset from Finland, a country with a high rate of employment for disabled people, Prof. Dr. Shiho Futagami (YOKOHAMA National University) et al. are paving  the way to provide more job opportunities and inclusion for people with disabilities. 

Serious fungal infections are on the rise, and many hospital-acquired cases are becoming harder to treat as fungi become resistant to available medications.  

One of the most widely used therapies, caspofungin, combats Candida infections that can turn deadly in people with weakened immune systems. Despite the drug’s importance, scientists have never fully understood how it works at the molecular level — or why it sometimes stops working. 

A new study in Nature from Duke biochemists Seok-Yong Lee, PhD, and Kenichi Yokoyama, PhD, has now filled in those gaps, offering the most detailed picture yet of caspofungin in action. The findings reveal a surprising mechanism and provide critical insights that could help guide the design of next-generation antifungal drugs.