spooky science: zombie ants

written & narrated by Steven, edited by April
funded by UPMC Hillman Academy and National Cancer Institute (NCI R25 YES)

information sources:
+“Could a parasitic fungus evolve to control humans?” by Sarah Gibbens, National Geographic. January 19, 2023. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/sc...
+“How a parasitic fungus turns ants into ‘zombies’” by Jennifer Lu, National Geographic. April 18, 2019. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/an...
+“Zombie-ant fungus” Britannica. Written by Melissa Petruzzello. https://www.britannica.com/science/zo...
+Fredericksen et al. (2017). Three-dimensional visualization and a deep-learning model reveal complex fungal parasite networks in behaviorally manipulated ants, PNAS, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1711673114

media sources:
Ophiocordyceps unilateralis image by David P. Hughes & Maj-Britt Pontoppidan. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone....
+"Preparedness among ants" by Bray Studios. Received from YT user A/V Geeks    • Preparedness Among Ants  
+'Zombie' Parasite Cordyceps Fungus Takes Over Insects Through Mind Control by National Geographic.    • 'Zombie' Parasite Cordyceps Fungus Takes O...  

Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Institutes of Health or UPMC