Major Press and Media for our 2023 PNAS study
Gusa A, Yadav V, Roth C, Williams JD, Shouse EM, Magwene P, Heitman J, Jinks-Robertson S. Genome-wide analysis of heat stress-stimulated transposon mobility in the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus deneoformans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2023 Jan 24;120(4):e2209831120.
Link to PNAS Article
Link to all media coverage
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WIRED
The Battle Against the Fungal Apocalypse Is Just Beginning
Fungal infections are rising worldwide and climate change may be to blame. Medicine isn’t ready.
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www.wired.com
Article by Maryn McKenna. The Battle Against the Fungal Apocalypse is Just Beginning. Aug 25, 2023
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NPR ShortWave Daily Science Podcast
The science that spawned fungal fears in HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’ : Short Wave
The video game series that spawned the new hit HBO drama, The Last of Us, is the zombie genre with a twist. Instead of the standard viral pandemic or bacterial disease that’s pushed humanity to the brink, but a fungus that has evolved to survive in human bodies in part due to climate change. Short W…
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www.npr.org
Podcast interview (13 min) with Aaron Scott by Liz Metzger, Producer, emetzger@npr.org. Aired Feb 21, 2023
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Duke Today
Warmer Climate May Drive Fungi to Be More Dangerous to Our Health | Duke Today
Specifically, higher heat makes more of the fungus’ transposable elements, or jumping genes, get up and move around within the fungal DNA, leading to changes in the way its genes are used and regulated. The findings appeared Jan. 20 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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today.duke.edu
Article by Karl Bates, Executive Director, Duke Research Communications, karl.bates@duke.edu. Published Jan 30, 2023
Features quotes from Arturo Casadevall (JHU) and Asiya Gusa (Duke)
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Wall Street Journal
Dangerous Fungi Are Spreading Across U.S. as Temperatures Rise
As temperatures have risen globally, some fungi might be adapting to endure more heat stress, including conditions within the human body.
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www.wsj.com
Article by Dominique Mosbergen, dominique.mosbergen@wsj.com. Published Feb 2, 2023.
Features quotes from Peter Pappas (U of Alabama), Andrej Spec (WashU), and Asiya Gusa (Duke)
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CBC News (Toronto)
Frightened by fungal zombies in The Last of Us? The real-life threat is terrifying, too | CBC News
Is there a chance a fungi could one day mutate in a manner that could take over our brains and bodies? That’s a stretch, scientists say. But actual fungal evolution, and the very real threat these pathogens pose to human health, is almost as concerning as science fiction.
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www.cbc.ca
Article by Lauren Pelley, Senior Health and Medical Reporter, lauren.pelley@cbc.ca. Published Feb 4, 2023.
Features quotes from Leah Cowen (U of Toronto), Hatim Sati (WHO priority pathogens report), Andrej Spec (WashU), George Thompson (UC-Davis), Arturo Casadevall (JHU) and Asiya Gusa (Duke)
Could the zombie fungus from The Last of Us really happen?
The explosive popularity of The Last of Us, the video game-turned-HBO series where a fungal pathogen turns people into terrifying zombies, has given rise to a question: could this really happen? Scientists say fungal infections could be the next hard-to-solve crisis for the world, though perhaps wit…
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www.cbc.ca
Video by Lauren Pelley, Senior Health and Medical Reporter, lauren.pelley@cbc.ca.
Broadcast Feb 5, 2023 on CBC News’ The National, live stream on YouTube
Features our PNAS study with video interviews from Arturo Casadevall, Andrej Spec and Leah Cowen
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MSGERC #OpenMyc Fungal Threats: What’s Real?
@msg_erc on Twitter
“In case you missed it: Listen to our #OpenMyc panel discussion about emerging fungal threats and climate change With @GermHunterMD Featuring @kasson_wvu @ACasadevall1 @AsiyaGusa @NormanRhijn @GRThompsonMD Essential listening for #TheLastOfUs fans! https://t.co/ePnrYBmdkW”
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twitter.com
Panelist featuring Ilan Schwartz (host, Duke) ilan.schwartz@duke.edu, Matt Kasson (WVU), Norman van Rhijn (U of MMFIG), Arturo Casadevall (JHU), George Thompson (UC-Davis) and Asiya Gusa (Duke). Aired LIVE on TwitterSpaces Feb 19, 2023
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ScienceNews
Fungi don’t turn humans into zombies. But The Last of Us gets some science right
Fungi like those in the post-apocalyptic TV show are real. But humans’ body temperature and brain chemistry may protect us from zombifying fungi.
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www.sciencenews.org
Article by Tina Hesman Saey, Senior Writer, Molecular Biology, tsaey@sciencenews.org. Published Feb 21, 2023
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National Geographic
A deadly fungus with mysterious origins is raising alarms
Candidas auris, which is spreading around the world, is difficult to detect and even harder to treat. Here’s what we know about it so far, and who’s at risk.
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www.nationalgeographic.com
Article by Sarah Gibbens. A deadly fungus with mysterious origins is raising alarms. Apr 13, 2023.
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New York Times
Opinion | ‘The Last of Us’ Is Right. Our Warming Planet Is a Petri Dish.
Fungi are a public health blind spot.
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www.nytimes.com
Opinion article by Dr. Neil Vora, Pandemic Prevention Fellow, Conservation International. Published April 2, 2023
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Inverse
Inside the Race To Create the World’s First Anti-Fungal Vaccine
A growing number of researchers are working on vaccines to prevent the deadliest of fungal infections.
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www.inverse.com
Article by Kaitlin Sullivan. Published June 20, 2023
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Climate Change and Health
Health experts at Duke University School of Medicine are scrutinizing the myriad ways in which shifting environmental conditions, from sweltering temperatures to severe storms, shape our well-being.
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medschool.duke.edu
