The Keller Laboratory

Welcome to the Keller Lab at UW-Madison!

Our research focus lies in genetically dissecting those aspects of fungi that render them potent pathogens and superb secondary metabolite machines.

We do this by elucidating molecules involved in the virulence of plant, animal, and human pathogenic fungi, while also expressing novel bioactive fungal secondary metabolites for drug development.

News

We are excited to announce that Dr. Nancy Keller has been selected to present the Perkins/Metzenberg Lecture at the 33rd Fungal Genetics Conference in Pacific Grove, California in March 2026!
Check out the recent article featuring Nancy and others on Exploring Drug Discovery and Development magazine https://www.drugdiscoverynews.com/warring-fungi-produce-new-drugs-for-cancer-and-infectious-disease-15330

Public Lab Resources

GRAsp

A custom Aspergillus fumigatus gene regulatory network prediction program, in collaboration with
Dr. Sashmita Roy
Preprint

Isocyanides

A repository created by Dr. Grant Nickles containing all fungal ICS BGCs discovered in his research
Nucleic Acids Research Paper

Fungal Supergroup

Research consortium of all fungal labs at
UW-Madison

Recent Publications

Won, T.H., Bok, J.W., Nadig, N. et al. Copper starvation induces antimicrobial isocyanide integrated into two distinct biosynthetic pathways in fungi. Nat Commun 13, 4828 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-32394-x
Khokhani D, Carrera Carriel C, Vayla S, Irving TB, Stonoha-Arther C, Keller NP, Ané JM. Deciphering the Chitin Code in Plant Symbiosis, Defense, and Microbial Networks. Annu Rev Microbiol. 2021 Oct 8;75:583-607. doi: 10.1146/annurev-micro-051921-114809. PMID: 34623896.
Raffa N, Won TH, Sukowaty A, Candor K, Cui C, Halder S, Dai M, Landero-Figueroa JA, Schroeder FC, Keller NP. Dual-purpose isocyanides produced by Aspergillus fumigatus contribute to cellular copper sufficiency and exhibit antimicrobial activity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 Feb 23;118(8):e2015224118. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2015224118. PMID: 33593906; PMCID: PMC7923669.
Khalid S, Keller NP. Chemical signals driving bacterial-fungal interactions. Environ Microbiol. 2021 Jan 28. doi: 10.1111/1462-2920.15410. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33511714.
Zelante, T., Choera, T., Beauvais, A., Fallarino, F., Paolicelli, G., Pieraccini, G., Pieroni, M., Galosi, C., Beato, C., De Luca, A., Boscaro, F., Romoli, R., Liu, X., Warris, A., Verweij, P. E., Ballard, E., Borghi, M., Pariano, M., Costantino, G., Calvitti, M., … Romani, L. (2021). Aspergillus fumigatus tryptophan metabolic route differently affects host immunity. Cell reports, 34(4), 108673. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108673

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