Spooky Science
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NewsStudy finds fungus metabolites may help ghost shrimp survive
Researchers have found that chemical byproducts produced by the amphibian-killing fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis—commonly known as Bd—may actually help ghost shrimp survive.
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NewsNew breakthrough uncovers how to kill ‘zombie’ TB cells resistant to antibiotics
Researchers exposed a library of over 500,000 genetically modified tuberculosis bacteria to two commonly used antibiotics. By analysing the survivors, they pinpointed genes whose disruption significantly reduced the number of surviving persisters.
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NewsNew fungal species named in honour of Sir David Attenborough making zombies of cave spiders
A study to investigate the identity of a fungus found on a spider during filming of the BBC Winterwatch series in Northern Ireland has confirmed it as a novel species that manipulates its host by compelling it to migrate and die in exposed situations.
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NewsCulprit behind cassava witches’ broom disease unveiled as fungus
In a recent breakthrough, DNA sequencing technology has uncovered the culprit behind cassava witches’ broom disease: the fungus genus Ceratobasidium.
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NewsNew species of insect-parasitising fungus discovered in lower Himalayas
Researchers have discovered a new species of fungi, Ophiocordyceps, in the lower Indian Himalayas. These fungi - fictionalised as the deadly fungi in The Last of Us - are well known as parasites of insects and are often prized for their medicinal qualities.
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NewsVillainous pairing makes superbugs more deadly and drug-resistant
Some of the world’s most deadly and drug-resistant pathogens work collaboratively to become more powerful and infectious, a new study has found.
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NewsBartonella DNA found in blood of patients with psychosis
A new study has found that patients diagnosed with schizophrenia or another psychotic disorder are three times more likely to have Bartonella DNA in their blood than adults without these disorders.
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NewsSyphilis-like diseases were already widespread in America before the arrival of Columbus
Researchers at the Universities of Basel and Zurich have discovered the genetic material of the pathogen Treponema pallidum in the bones of people who died in Brazil 2,000 years ago. Source: Photo: Dr. Jose Filippini Skeleton at the site in Jubuicabeira II, Brazil. This is the oldest ...