Yeast and Fungal Models

Yeast and fungal models are used to study various aspects of organismal biology, including cell biology, genetics, physiology, development and evolution. These models are important because they allow scientists to study the biology of eukaryotic cells without the need for mammalian animal models or human studies. Due to their simple genetic structure, they can be used to study genetic and molecular pathways in a controlled environment. Yeast and fungi are also used to study cellular processes such as metabolism, cytoskeletal organization, signal transduction and cell-cell communication. Furthermore, studies of yeast and fungal models have greatly increased our understanding of human disease, including cancer, diabetes, infectious diseases and neurological disorders.