BrisScience: could fungi really be the last of us?

The Last of Us has become a global television phenomenon, breaking records and receiving rave reviews in its debut season.

 

The post-apocalyptic zombie smash hit takes place 20 years after the collapse of civilisation, due to the rapid growth and spread of a real-life fungus called Cordyceps.

 

But how realistic is a human Cordyceps pandemic? UQ researchers, Dr Leela Rizal and Dr James Hereward, from UQ's School of Biological Sciences, dissect the truth about this unique fungus.

 

Meet the presenters:

 

Dr Leela Rizal is an emerging mycologist. Over the last 10 years she has worked with various types of fungi in Bhutan, Thailand, and Australia. She is a specialist in fungal pathogens of insects and plants, mushroom science (including propagation), and is an expert in the mass production of fungal biopesticides for controlling insect pests infesting agricultural crops.

 

Dr James Hereward is a University of Queensland research fellow, whose research applies population genetics, evolutionary and ecological theory, and genomics to understand agricultural pests, weeds, and pollination, all three are billion-dollar problems facing Australian agriculture. His work aims to protect agricultural crops and ensure global food security.