Aquatic infections pose a massive threat to the global aquaculture industry, causing devastating economic losses and threatening food security worldwide. In response, the Drug Discovery Unit at the Central University of Technology, Free State (CUT), led by Prof. Samson Sitheni Mashele, has made a groundbreaking discovery that could transform the sector. The research team successfully identified novel drug targets by analysing cytochrome P450 monooxygenase proteins across 13 pathogenic oomycete genomes.

By understanding how these fungus-like microorganisms and their hosts metabolise substances, the team has paved the way for new, highly effective antifungal treatments. Published in the prestigious international journal Scientific Reports, this research not only offers a critical solution for the multi-billion-dollar aquaculture industry but also provides foundational insights that could inform future antimicrobial strategies for human infectious diseases.