Researchers discovered that a specific enzyme called glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) controls the production of hypocrellin A, a powerful therapeutic compound found in Shiraia fungi. When bamboo polysaccharides are added to fungal cultures, they trigger G6PDH activity, which then increases the production of signaling molecules that boost hypocrellin A biosynthesis. This finding could lead to better ways to produce this promising cancer-fighting photosensitizer at industrial scales using simple, cost-effective methods.