A new study reveals that coffee wilt disease, which has destroyed coffee crops across Africa, emerges repeatedly because of gene-swapping between different fungal species. Scientists discovered that large chunks of DNA called ‘Starships’ act like genetic delivery vehicles, transferring disease-causing genes from one fungus to another. This genetic exchange allows the pathogen to adapt and infect different coffee plant species, causing successive outbreaks. Understanding this mechanism could help protect global coffee production in the future.