Finding Ways to Protect Bats from White-Nose Syndrome

Hibernating bats are dying in vast numbers from white-nose syndrome (WNS), a rapidly spreading fungal infection in North America. However, little is known about how WNS invades the bat’s skin and causes fatal infections. In early studies, researchers exposed bat cells to the fungal agent that causes WNS and discovered a receptor on the bat skin cells that allows entry of the infectious agent. They also identified a promising drug that blocks the receptor, thwarting invasion of the infectious agent into the skin cells. In this study, the team will further investigate the role of the receptor in the development of WNS and its influence on the susceptibility of different bat species to WNS. The team will use this new information to inform the development of preventive strategies using the receptor-blocking drug to help protect susceptible bats against WNS.