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ScienceQuiet 6d · day 9

Parasitic fungi hijack insect brains without invading them, new research shows

Study of zombie ant fungus reveals parasites manipulate host behavior through muscle control rather than direct brain invasion.

newest coverage 5d agosummary written 8d ago6 pieces16 likes & upvotes NewswiresGoogle NewsMastodon

What to know

  • Parasitic fungi like Ophiocordyceps control ant behavior without directly invading the brain, contradicting previous assumptions about how behavioral manipulation works.
  • The fungus colonizes muscle tissue and may release signaling molecules that alter muscle contraction, allowing it to drive ants to climb vegetation and grip plant surfaces before death.
  • Motor neurons and nerve-muscle connections remain intact despite fungal infection, suggesting the parasite modifies the machinery of muscle control rather than destroying neural systems.
  • The findings have broader implications for understanding how various parasites across insects and other organisms achieve behavioral control of their hosts.

“Some parasites and fungi can alter the behavior of a living host in ways that benefit the parasite. They do not bring the dead back to life. Instead, they interfere with biological systems that control movement, motivation and decision-making.”

Tara Deans, Biomedical engineer and synthetic biologist · The Conversation ↗ · Oct 29

Tara Deans Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of TechnologyOphiocordyceps fungus Parasitic organism studied

Parasitic fungi hijack insect brains without invading them, new research shows
theconversation.com

How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts

Peak 3 pieces in two hours at Oct 30, 3 PM; 6 pieces over 9 days (5 articles · 1 post) Oct 30, 3 PM — 3 pieces · 3 articles — Google News 2, Newswires 1Oct 30, 5 PM — quietOct 30, 7 PM — quietOct 30, 9 PM — quietOct 30, 11 PM — quietOct 31, 1 AM — quietOct 31, 3 AM — quietOct 31, 5 AM — quietOct 31, 7 AM — quietOct 31, 9 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Oct 31, 11 AM — quietOct 31, 1 PM — quietOct 31, 3 PM — quietOct 31, 5 PM — quietOct 31, 7 PM — quietOct 31, 9 PM — quietOct 31, 11 PM — quietNov 1, 1 AM — quietNov 1, 2 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Mastodon 1Nov 1, 4 AM — quietNov 1, 6 AM — quietNov 1, 8 AM — quietNov 1, 10 AM — quietNov 1, 12 PM — quietNov 1, 2 PM — quietNov 1, 4 PM — quietNov 1, 6 PM — quietNov 1, 8 PM — quietNov 1, 10 PM — quietNov 2, 12 AM — quietNov 2, 2 AM — quietNov 2, 4 AM — quietNov 2, 6 AM — quietNov 2, 8 AM — quietNov 2, 10 AM — quietNov 2, 12 PM — 1 piece · 1 article — Google News 1Nov 2, 2 PM — quietNov 2, 4 PM — quietNov 2, 6 PM — quietNov 2, 8 PM — quietNov 2, 10 PM — quietNov 3, 12 AM — quietNov 3, 2 AM — quietNov 3, 4 AM — quietNov 3, 6 AM — quietNov 3, 8 AM — quietNov 3, 10 AM — quietNov 3, 12 PM — quietNov 3, 2 PM — quietNov 3, 4 PM — quietNov 3, 6 PM — quietNov 3, 8 PM — quietNov 3, 10 PM — quietNov 4, 12 AM — quietNov 4, 2 AM — quietNov 4, 4 AM — quietNov 4, 6 AM — quietNov 4, 8 AM — quietNov 4, 10 AM — quietNov 4, 12 PM — quietNov 4, 2 PM — quietNov 4, 4 PM — quietNov 4, 6 PM — quietNov 4, 8 PM — quietNov 4, 10 PM — quietNov 5, 12 AM — quietNov 5, 2 AM — quietNov 5, 4 AM — quietNov 5, 6 AM — quietNov 5, 8 AM — quietNov 5, 10 AM — quietNov 5, 12 PM — quietNov 5, 2 PM — quietNov 5, 4 PM — quietNov 5, 6 PM — quietNov 5, 8 PM — quietNov 5, 10 PM — quietNov 6, 12 AM — quietNov 6, 2 AM — quietNov 6, 4 AM — quietNov 6, 6 AM — quietNov 6, 8 AM — quietNov 6, 10 AM — quietNov 6, 12 PM — quietNov 6, 2 PM — quietNov 6, 4 PM — quietNov 6, 6 PM — quietNov 6, 8 PM — quietNov 6, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 12 AM — quietYesterday, 2 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 6 AM — quietYesterday, 8 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 12 PM — quietYesterday, 2 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 6 PM — quietYesterday, 8 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quietToday, 12 AM — quietToday, 2 AM — quietToday, 4 AM — quietToday, 6 AM — quietToday, 8 AM — quietToday, 10 AM — quiet 12
Oct 31Nov 1Nov 2Nov 3Nov 4Nov 5Nov 6yesterdaynow · 11:50 AM ET
  1. 2

    The Conversation promotes research findings on social media

    The Conversation shared the article on Mastodon, emphasizing the real-world parallels to fictional zombie narratives and the remarkable ability of parasites to control host behavior.

    “Zombies are real! Parasitic fungi, wasps, worms and amoeba can control the behavior of their hosts in various horrifying ways.”
    — TheConversationUS
    • TheConversationUS

      Zombies are real! Parasitic fungi, wasps, worms and amoeba can control the behavior of their hosts in various horrifying ways.🧟‍♂️ https:// theconversation.com/zombies-ar e-real-just-ask-the-parasites-taking-over-the-bodies-and-brains-of-insects-and-rodents-leading-them-to-their-doom-292955

      TheConversationUSMastodon8d ago6▲view on Mastodon ↗
  2. 1

    Tara Deans publishes research on parasite behavior control in hosts

    Biomedical engineer and synthetic biologist Tara Deans from Georgia Institute of Technology published findings on how parasitic fungi, wasps, worms and amoeba can control host behavior. The article focuses on the Ophiocordyceps fungus that infects ants and drives them through a specific behavioral sequence: leaving the colony, wandering, climbing vegetation, then biting a leaf surface in a fatal "death grip."

    “Surprisingly, researchers examining infected ants before death found extensive fungal growth throughout the body and around muscle fibers, but not inside the brain.”
    — Tara Deans, Biomedical engineer and synthetic biologist · source
  3. background

    Research reveals fungus avoids brain, controls behavior through muscle colonization — Contrary to expectations that the fungus invades the ant's brain to control it, researchers found extensive fungal growth throughout the body and around muscle fibers, but not inside the brain. Fungal cells form networks around muscles and may release molecules near tissues, suggesting behavior manipulation occurs through communication between fungus and multiple host tissues rather than direct brain control.

Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet

  1. 2 outlets Zombies are real – just ask the parasites taking over the bodies and brains of insects and rodents, leading them to their doom

    first by Mastodon, 7d ago · also The Conversation

    1 more headline

and 1 smaller piece