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EXTENDED PHENOTYPE. "In an evolutionary context, changes in host behaviour upon parasite infection are examples of an extended phenotype, a concept introduced by Dawkins (1982). He stated that the observed host phenotype is a consequence of a parasite’s gene being expressed." https://lnkd.in/e4DPgex View in LinkedIn

"PARASITIC INFECTIONS are often followed by changes in host behaviour. Numerous and exquisite examples of such behavioural alterations are known, covering a broad spectrum of parasites and hosts." https://lnkd.in/eMBtiKq View in LinkedIn

"PARASITES often have profound effects on the animal hosts they invade by affecting development, physiology, morphology, evolution and ecology. In many cases, host behaviour is also altered upon parasitic infection. These changes range from slight alterations of already existing behavioural traits to the exhibition of completely new activities." https://lnkd.in/e4DPgex View in LinkedIn

FRAGMENT FROM NATURE for the next two weekends looks at the remarkable extent to which parasites can control their host's behaviors, often totally changing it to further the success and life cycle of the parasite. The biochemical mechanisms underlying the parasitic control, and the types of host defenses are quite intriguing. But more, it shows how deeply parasites can hack their hosts. View in LinkedIn

Humans have destroyed a tenth of Earth's wilderness in 25 years – study http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/sep/08/humans-have-destroyed-a-tenth-of-earths-wilderness-in-25-years-study?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other View in LinkedIn

'Galactic fossil' of early Milky Way discovered http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/08/us/ancient-galactic-fossil-milky-way/index.html View in LinkedIn

"RNA STEM-LOOP SWARMS and viral quasi-species. RNA social membership is essential but basically indefinable." https://lnkd.in/eUYvi8e View in LinkedIn

PARTS OF A WHOLE. "In current biology, a network (eg, the nodes in the net) is not evaluated from the perspective of agents. Individual participants are simply “inert” nodes in an interacting net. Proteomes, transcriptomes, and interactomes are all more or less presented as such simple collections in a systems biology view of such ensembles." https://lnkd.in/eUYvi8e View in LinkedIn

STEP FROM THE GREY ZONE. "If stem-loop consortia build complex consortia they initiate social interactions not present in a pure chemical world. The emergence of identity (self vs. nonself) is a crucial step from single RNA stem loops to RNA consortia; maybe the crucial step from inanimate world to life?" https://lnkd.in/eUYvi8e View in LinkedIn

THE COCKROACH "can be parasitized by the parasitoid Moniliformis moniliformis, leading to increased locomotion activity ... the same cockroach species can be parasitized by the tropical wasp Ampulex compressa, inducing a zombie-like state and preventing it from any spontaneous locomotion. These parasites may have conflicting interests, and in case of coparasitation, this might be expressed in different manipulation patterns than for singly infected hosts." https://lnkd.in/e2g9KSe View in LinkedIn