https://video.igem.org/videos/watch/9ff99929-226c-423d-98e1-6a688b304224 Title: Com-bat-ing White Nose Syndrome Description: Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) is a pathogenic fungus that causes White-nose syndrome (WNS), one of the most devastating wildlife diseases and is responsible for mass bat mortality across North America. WNS develops in bats during their hibernation period when proteolytic enzymes produced by the fungus degrade the collagen in their nose, ears, and wings. This causes them to wake prematurely from wintertime hibernation, leading to energy depletion, lethargy, and death by starvation due to the lack of necessary resources in winter. There are no widespread effective treatments currently. However, the Alma College iGEM Team is engineering Escherichia coli (E. coli) to secrete serine protease inhibitor(s) targeting the virulence factor of the fungus. These inhibitors would block collagen degradation, allowing bats to maintain uninterrupted hibernation, thus improving survival outcomes for the bat population. Official Page Tue, 01 Sep 2026 16:55:41 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://video.igem.org https://video.igem.org/client/assets/images/icons/icon-1500x1500.png https://video.igem.org/videos/watch/9ff99929-226c-423d-98e1-6a688b304224 All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://video.igem.org/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.