The beginning of The Last of Us: Scientists have found a fungus that zombifies spiders and want to treat people with it

Scientists have discovered a new type of fungus that turns cave spiders into zombies. Unlike the events in the «The Last of Us» this species can help treat people, not lead to apocalypse.

The fungus came into the hands of researchers in 2021 when they were exploring an old Victorian warehouse in Northern Ireland while filming the documentary «Winterwatch».

On the plus side, the spiders don’t turn into huge and dangerous sinkholes, as in «The Last of Us». And on the downside (for spiders), the fungus forces them to crawl into open spaces to disperse the spores.

Researchers have found a zombie spider on the ceiling of the barn, which is atypical behavior for this species. They speculated that the fungus was forcing the spiders to move to places where they preferred, instead of the dark places they preferred, where they would begin their next phase of infestation.

Lead author of the study, Harry Evans, said that once the neurotoxins reach the open site, they Neurotoxins are toxins that specifically affect the nervous system. They can block or alter the functioning of nerves, which can lead to paralysis or other neurological disorders. kills the infected person. The fungus releases antimicrobial substances to preserve the corpse from bacteria and mummify it. The body of a spider gradually turns into a long fungus that looks somewhat like a dangerous fern.

Despite its gruesome appearance, the substances produced by the fungus may have medical applications, including antibiotics. Harry Evans named the antimicrobial substances of the found species «chest with medicinal treasures».

The new species is named Gibellula attenboroughii in honor of the legendary British biologist David Attenborough. The study was published in the journal Fungal Systematics and Evolution.

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Source: Live Science