A parasite that not only feeds of its host, but also makes the host change its own metabolism and thus biology. NIOZ microbiologists Su Ding and Joshua Hamm, Nicole Bale, Jaap Damsté and Anja Spang ...
In the late 19th century, when scientists first discovered the single-celled creature called Nephromyces, they thought it was a parasitic fungus. They were wrong ...
Deep-sea Bathymodiolus mussels are found worldwide at hydrothermal vents and cold seeps. The mussels live in symbiosis with beneficial bacteria that provide them with nutrition. The mussels also have ...
In the continual arms race between parasites and their hosts, innovation was thought to be the key to a successful attack or defense that one-ups the competition. But sometimes, as in the corporate ...
Adult fruit fly brain infected with Wolbachia (in green). (Image by Brandt Warecki) Some parasites can hijack the behavior of the animals they infect. Grasshoppers colonized by hairworms will jump ...
Phytoplasma effector SAP05 induces witches' broom in Arabidopsis [John Innes Centre] The results of studies in a plant model organism suggest that a newly discovered mechanism used by parasitic ...
Parasitic bacteria can teach us a lot, according to scientists who have just discovered a manipulation mechanism used by the bacteria to slow down plant aging. Their insights might lead to new ways to ...