A research team led by the Leibniz-HKI in Jena has uncovered a new way in which the yeast Candida albicans can damage human tissue. In a study published in Nature Communications, the scientists describe an alternative pathogenicity strategy involving the human serum protein albumin. This mechanism has not previously been described and may help explain why certain clinical isolates of Candida albicans appear harmless in laboratory tests, yet cause infections in patients.