Relying on a urinary catheter is a standard part of medical care for hundreds of thousands of patients each year. Unfortunately, the device carries the risk of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs), for which bacteria are widely recognized as the primary cause. And yet, many patients face a growing threat from another pathogen: a fungus, Candida albicans.

Research published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by University of Notre Dame associate professors of biological sciences Ana Flores-Mireles and Felipe Santiago-Tirado shows how the fungus works in the bladder, potentially changing the way doctors treat and diagnose CAUTIs.