Wednesday, 22 May, 2013

athogens can change the behavior of their hosts — and now we see that a single viral gene forces a caterpillar to climb a tree before it dies. From that high vantage, the virus can infect more caterpillars. It’s nifty and thrifty, unless you’re a gypsy moth!

Three gross “biotherapies”: Leeches suck blood after surgery. Maggots clear dead tissue from wounds. Parasitic worms fight ulcerative colitis.

Cleaner fish remove parasites from other fish. Why do males punish females who eat the wrong food from their host? A clue to the evolution of cooperation?

Along the coast of Baja, California, a new study finds that parasites outweigh top predators. What does this mean for ecology, and what is the story with “castrating parasites”?

Making mosquitoes that resist malaria sounds like a winning strategy. Could this bright idea fail — or even backfire? What other smart ideas might help us fight malaria?

New infections — HIV, Ebola, West Nile, Lyme, deadly Marburg virus. These diseases don’t come from nowhere. What are scientists learning about the source and fate of new infections?

Malaria parasite changes sex ratio to promote reproduction.