American and Canadian chefs are just learning what Mexicans have long known: a bluish fungus that infects corn and has been considered a scourge by most U.S. farmers is actually delicious. So much so that scientists are now trying to figure out how to purposefully grow it. One evening last July, Sean Brock, an executive chef and restaurant owner based in Charleston, … [Read more...] about This Creepy-Looking Fungus Infects Corn Kernels, Turning Them Into a Delicacy Used in Quesadillas and Other Foods
infects
Enterobacteria Phage T2: An Intriguing Virus that Infects E. coli
Enterobacteria phage T2 is a virus that infects Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria. This virus belongs to the family Myoviridae and has a complex structure consisting of a head, a tail, and tail fibers. The virus is small, with a diameter of around 90 nm, and is invisible to the naked eye. However, when viewed through an electron microscope, Enterobacteria phage T2 reveals a … [Read more...] about Enterobacteria Phage T2: An Intriguing Virus that Infects E. coli
How the Zombie Fungus Infects Ant Bodies and Takes Control of Their Minds
The infamous parasite’s methods are more complex and more sinister than anyone suspected. To find the world’s most sinister examples of mind control, don’t look to science fiction. Instead, go to a tropical country like Brazil, and venture deep into the jungle. Find a leaf that’s hanging almost exactly 25 centimeters above the forest floor, no more and no less. Now look … [Read more...] about How the Zombie Fungus Infects Ant Bodies and Takes Control of Their Minds