No, ‘zombie’ fungus isn’t coming for us, Field Museum researcher says — despite growing on HBO viewers

A fungus specimen is put under a microscope for closer examination at the Field Museum, which has a collection of more than 200,000 fungal specimens. (Shawn Alee/WBEZ)

Through a microscope, Matt Nelsen peers at an ant clinging to a branch with a death grip. A long spike shoots from the insect’s back — the calling card of the “zombie” fungus that killed this tiny creature.

This ant now resides among caterpillars, spiders and beetles that all have succumbed to a similar fate, infected by a parasitizing fungus that drained the critters of nutrients, then left them for dead. In some cases, the fungus enveloped the bugs’ tiny brains and started controlling their behavior, hence the zombie nickname.