Collaborate Disseminate
Imagine a parasite has infected you and that parasite needs you to have sex to move to a new host. It would certainly be in that parasite’s interest to help you become more physically attractive to a mate and act more promiscuously.Continue ReadingCate… Continue reading Bizarre study finds common parasite can make you more attractive
It can be challenging, trying to selectively kill off an invasive plant that grows in amongst non-target native species. A new initiative is aiming to do just that, however, by introducing a weed-eating mite into the Canadian environment.Continue Readi… Continue reading Weed-eating Eurasian mites to be released in Canada
A new study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine is reporting the development of a novel mRNA-based vaccine designed to help resist tick bites. Preclinical tests in guinea pigs indicate the vaccine aids the immune system in recognizi… Continue reading New mRNA anti-tick vaccine may protect from more than just Lyme disease
BioNTech, the pioneering mRNA company responsible for one of the world’s first COVID-19 vaccines, is now looking to develop an mRNA malaria vaccine. Working with the World Health Organization the company hopes to begin human clinical trials sometime ne… Continue reading After COVID-19 BioNTech turns its mRNA vaccine tech on malaria
One of nature’s most intriguing horror stories is that of the fungus that “zombifies” ants to spread its spores. Now, researchers have discovered the oldest known example of this kind of parasite at work, preserved in ancient amber.Continue ReadingCate… Continue reading Novel “zombie ant” fungus discovered in ancient amber
Besides being known for their cube-shaped droppings, wombats are unfortunately also subject to the disease sarcoptic mange. In order to better understand how the mange-causing mites are able to spread between wombats, scientists have developed a burrow… Continue reading WomBot robot used to explore and analyze wombat burrows
Although the use of conventional pesticides is harmful to the environment, farmers still need a way of keeping crop-damaging organisms at bay. According to a new study, an eco-friendly combination of agricultural and beer brewing waste products may be … Continue reading Beer brewing waste shown to help kill crop-harming parasites
Eternal youth is the first thing many of us might wish for if we stumbled onto a genie or a magic monkey’s paw, but there’s always a catch. Now, scientists have discovered a version of this story playing out in ant nests, as parasites drastically exten… Continue reading Parasite grants ants “eternal youth” – but there’s a dark side
Many efforts to develop malaria vaccines in recent decades have focused on triggering an immune response to prevent the disease from infecting liver cells. But researchers at the Burnet Institute have examined the potential to attack the parasite earli… Continue reading Attacking early proves a promising path for a better malaria vaccine
Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by a common parasitic infection. Although it is suspected hundreds of millions of people around the world may be infected with the parasite, only a small volume display symptoms and go on to develop disease.Continue Re… Continue reading How behavior-changing parasites inspire new mental health treatments