> The team used yeast cells for its research – specifically looking at the 'Ras' gene family, a family of genes that is present in all animal cells, including human cancer cells.

Hmm.. So they could have used any opisthokont's cells for a model, but they chose a fungus, a type of organism that travels readily in the environment as micrometer-sized spores and on even forms yeast, a zoomorphism which just so happens to match the growth and feeding patterns of cancer.. makes sense.