Verticillium dahliae is a destructive fungus that causes a wilting disease in cotton crops. Researchers found that a specific protein (VdPAT1) that helps the fungus absorb vitamin B5 is critical for its survival and ability to infect cotton plants. When they disabled this protein, the fungus grew poorly, couldn’t penetrate plant tissues effectively, and became much less virulent, suggesting this protein could be a target for controlling the disease.