A fungus that invades your body and takes control of your actions. Not the plot of your latest horror/sci-fi movie, but the dramatic reality of carpenter ants. How is this next level of mind control possible, and what does it mean for us humans?
The battle between parasites and their hosts has been going on for millions of years, with each party trying to gain the upper hand. Parasites that modify host behavior to increase their own reproductive success are often referred to as zombie-makers. Zombie ants, when infected by fungi that hijack behavioral outputs, climb up vegetation to make it easier for the fungal spores to be dispersed by the wind. For the ants themselves, things do not end well.
Exactly how manipulative parasites are able to hijack their hosts remains a largely unanswered question. Biologist Charissa de Bekker is working to unravel the mechanisms underlying parasite manipulation of host behavior. Understanding the biology of these zombie fungi offers fascinating new insights for human medicine and pest control.
Dr. Charissa de Bekker is an associate professor in the Department of Biology at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. Her lab studies the infection biology of Ophiocordyceps and related fungi and examines parasite-host interactions that lead to behavioral manipulations.
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