Unearthing how a carnivorous fungus traps and digests worms
A new analysis sheds light on the molecular processes involved when a carnivorous species of fungus known as Arthrobotrys oligospora senses, traps and consumes a worm. Hung-Che Lin of Academia Sinica in Taipei, Taiwan, and colleagues present these fi.....»»
Meet the real zombifying fungus behind the fictional Last of Us outbreak
Ants are in trouble, but humans are safe... for now. Enlarge / HBO's The Last of Us provides a vivid visual imagining of what a Cordyceps infected human might become. (credit: YouTube/HBO Max) HBO's new sci-fi series Th.....»»
Carnivorous oyster mushrooms can kill roundworms with “nerve gas in a lollipop”
Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry ID'd the culprit as the volatile ketone 3-octanone. Enlarge / Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) serenely growing on a tree trunk in a forest. But nematodes beware! These oyster mushrooms.....»»
"Jumping genes" help fungus kill salamanders
A fungus that infects salamanders contains multiple copies of the same "jumping genes", scientists have discovered......»»
ConcealBrowse protects users against browser-borne attacks
ConcealBrowse, secure browser extension, performs pre- and post-processing of code on a computer to protect against browser-borne attacks including RATs, trojans, worms, ransomware, browser hijacking, and more. “The proven success of our platform i.....»»
Researchers analyze performance of bacterium in combating coffee rust
A new study has analyzed the potential of a bacterium for biological control of the fungus Hemileia vastatrix, which causes coffee rust, a major challenge for Brazilian coffee growers. An article on the study is published in the journal BMC Microbiol.....»»
Scientists discover what was on the menu of the first dinosaurs
The earliest dinosaurs included carnivorous, omnivorous and herbivorous species, according to a team of University of Bristol paleobiologists......»»
Study investigates "virgin birth" in aquarium sharks, even when potential mates are nearby
Asexual reproduction is common for animals like starfish, deep-sea worms, and stick insects, but among vertebrates, it's a rarity. A process called parthenogenesis allows some female animals to fertilize an egg with their own genetic material, produc.....»»
Corn-colonizing fungus may help the crop repel disease, grow larger
A fungus that can colonize, or grow within, corn plants doesn't just leave the plant unharmed—it also can help the plant stave off harmful bugs and other fungi, according to a new study by Penn State researchers......»»
Twirling parasitic worms throw dance party in man’s scrotum
In medical terms, the dance party is called the "filarial dance sign." Enlarge / This photomicrograph depicts a close view of the posterior end of a Wuchereria bancrofti microfilaria, a leading cause for human lymphatic filarias.....»»
A husband-and-wife team solve the mystery of how worms develop their gut
Were it not for the COVID-19 pandemic, an important discovery about the development of nematodes—elongated cylindrical worms—might not have been made......»»
Examining the promotion of Arabidopsis immune responses by a rhizosphere fungus
Plants can form diverse intimate relationships with beneficial mycorrhizal, endophytic and or rhizosphere fungi for nutrient trades. It is now known that plants can transfer carbon sources like fatty acids to fungi while the fungi mediate the supply.....»»
Study finds DNA repair declines with age, limiting fertility
Even worms have a ticking fertility clock. Older worms are less efficient at repairing broken DNA strands while making egg cells—part of a process that's essential for fertility. A new study from University of Oregon (UO) biologists suggests one po.....»»
More flexible than we thought: Worms provide new insights into the evolution and diversification of TGF-beta signaling
The TGF-ß cellular signaling network, essential to various functions in all metazoans and involved in many severe human pathologies like autoimmune diseases and cancer, is more flexible than previously thought......»»
Fungi in sink drains act as "reservoirs for mold"
Sinks and P-traps are home to a surprising number of fungal organisms, according to research from the University of Reading......»»
Virus undercuts fungus"s attacks on wheat
A naturally occurring virus co-discovered by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and university scientists may offer a way to undermine a costly fungal threat to wheat, barley and other small-grain crops......»»
This Carnivorous Plant Has a Rain-Powered Trap
A biological “spring” helps a pitcher plant fling insects to their doom.....»»
All Jacked Up and Full of Worms director talks psychosis and morality
In an interview with Digital Trends, writer/director Alex Phillips explains psychosis and morality in his new horror, All Jacked Up and Full of Worms......»»
Chemical defenses may not protect Antarctic seafloor animals, jeopardizing their value for drug discovery
Long-lived sponges, intestine-like worms, colonies of sea squirts and many other cold-loving animals populate the seafloor around Antarctica. But the arrival of outsiders—borne in ships' ballast water, on plastic refuse or on floating kelp, or enco.....»»
Researcher shows how a common fungus eliminates toxic mercury from soil and water
A University of Maryland researcher and colleagues found that the fungus Metarhizium robertsii removes mercury from the soil around plant roots, and from fresh and saltwater. The researchers also genetically engineered the fungus to amplify its mercu.....»»
Inonotus obliquus conks growing on Alnus incana have remarkable anticancer properties
A study led by researchers of the Estonian University of Life Sciences demonstrated that Inonotus obliquus, a fungal growth parasitizing the Alnus species, has comparable properties to the fungus growing on Betula species......»»