The fight against fungus that kills around 200,000 people every year has made a new step forward.

The study carried out by scientists the University of Aberdeen sheds new light on our immune system's response to a deadly microorganism.

Aspergillus fumigatus is one of the most feared complications for patients undergoing treatments such as transplantation, as it can lead to an invasive infection that is fatal in more than 50% of cases.

It is also thought to be responsible for a range of different lung diseases including asthma.

We breathe in hundreds of these spores daily as they are emitted from household items such as garden compost.

For most healthy people, the spores do not lead to disease, but for those with compromised immune systems, it can be deadly.

The fungus is so effective because it is very difficult to diagnose and treat.

This new study has identified a novel mechanism which responds to an "unexpected" part of the fungus, triggering the immune system.

The receptor recognises melanin in the fungi, and that variants of this receptor in people can make them more susceptible to infection if they are undergoing medical procedures.

The scientists hope that this finding could eventually inform the development of novel diagnostics and drugs to help combat these infections.

Professor Gordon Brown, director of the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology said: "This is a fungus that most of us come into contact with on a daily basis without consequence.

"However, for vulnerable people undergoing serious medical interventions, it can be fatal.

"Understanding how our immune system responds to this invader is crucial to improving our ability to identify its presence in infected people and to develop therapies to help us treat this disease."