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THE ZOMBIE THAT DOESN'T EAT BRAINS
A scientific poster illustrating the temporal and spatial characteristics of the parasitism between Ophiocordyceps unilateralis and Camponotus leonardi
i. compositional development
Initial compositional sketch
At first, I was most fascinated with the moment of infection and spore release.
Draft 1
As I learned more about the life cycles of the carpenter ant and its parasitic counterpart, I realized how complex the spatiotemporal relationships were between the two, and how difficult it was to find a single source showing the life cycles of both and how they intertwined.
Compositional sketch 2
After reading dozens of papers, I was finally able to piece together the intricacies of these two organism's relationship. The pieces finally came together and I realized the story that I wanted to tell.
Draft 2
Draft 3
The initial story was this: O. unilateralis has fine-tuned its parasitism so skillfully that it has a 100% kill rate upon infection. It directs its hosts, a rainforest-dwelling carpenter ant, to a leaf's underside with just the right humidity, temperature, and height from the ground. It is from here that the spores drop, covering a cubic meter of space. But if the fungus is so lethal, how are carpenter ant populations not wiped out? The answer lies in the life cycle of the carpenter ant: they nest in the forest canopy, far above where the spore disperal occurs. However, if by chance the ant colony needs to venture beyond what is accessible from the canopy, ants will travel along the forest floor. This is where they get caught.
Draft 3
After peer critique I finally arrived at a composition which prominently displayed a cross-section of the rainforest's layers in order to illustrate the joint life cycles of the two organisms. I separated the life cycle of Camponotus leonardi and Ophiocordyceps unilateralis so that each occupied its own side of the poster.
Initial compositional sketch
At first, I was most fascinated with the moment of infection and spore release.
Draft 1
As I learned more about the life cycles of the carpenter ant and its parasitic counterpart, I realized how complex the spatiotemporal relationships were between the two, and how difficult it was to find a single source showing the life cycles of both and how they intertwined.
Compositional sketch 2
After reading dozens of papers, I was finally able to piece together the intricacies of these two organism's relationship. The pieces finally came together and I realized the story that I wanted to tell.
Draft 2
Draft 3
The initial story was this: O. unilateralis has fine-tuned its parasitism so skillfully that it has a 100% kill rate upon infection. It directs its hosts, a rainforest-dwelling carpenter ant, to a leaf's underside with just the right humidity, temperature, and height from the ground. It is from here that the spores drop, covering a cubic meter of space. But if the fungus is so lethal, how are carpenter ant populations not wiped out? The answer lies in the life cycle of the carpenter ant: they nest in the forest canopy, far above where the spore disperal occurs. However, if by chance the ant colony needs to venture beyond what is accessible from the canopy, ants will travel along the forest floor. This is where they get caught.
Draft 3
After peer critique I finally arrived at a composition which prominently displayed a cross-section of the rainforest's layers in order to illustrate the joint life cycles of the two organisms. I separated the life cycle of Camponotus leonardi and Ophiocordyceps unilateralis so that each occupied its own side of the poster.
Initial compositional sketch
At first, I was most fascinated with the moment of infection and spore release.
Draft 1
As I learned more about the life cycles of the carpenter ant and its parasitic counterpart, I realized how complex the spatiotemporal relationships were between the two, and how difficult it was to find a single source showing the life cycles of both and how they intertwined.
Compositional sketch 2
After reading dozens of papers, I was finally able to piece together the intricacies of these two organism's relationship. The pieces finally came together and I realized the story that I wanted to tell.
Draft 2
Draft 3
The initial story was this: O. unilateralis has fine-tuned its parasitism so skillfully that it has a 100% kill rate upon infection. It directs its hosts, a rainforest-dwelling carpenter ant, to a leaf's underside with just the right humidity, temperature, and height from the ground. It is from here that the spores drop, covering a cubic meter of space. But if the fungus is so lethal, how are carpenter ant populations not wiped out? The answer lies in the life cycle of the carpenter ant: they nest in the forest canopy, far above where the spore disperal occurs. However, if by chance the ant colony needs to venture beyond what is accessible from the canopy, ants will travel along the forest floor. This is where they get caught.
Draft 3
After peer critique I finally arrived at a composition which prominently displayed a cross-section of the rainforest's layers in order to illustrate the joint life cycles of the two organisms. I separated the life cycle of Camponotus leonardi and Ophiocordyceps unilateralis so that each occupied its own side of the poster.
Initial compositional sketch
At first, I was most fascinated with the moment of infection and spore release.
Draft 1
As I learned more about the life cycles of the carpenter ant and its parasitic counterpart, I realized how complex the spatiotemporal relationships were between the two, and how difficult it was to find a single source showing the life cycles of both and how they intertwined.
Compositional sketch 2
After reading dozens of papers, I was finally able to piece together the intricacies of these two organism's relationship. The pieces finally came together and I realized the story that I wanted to tell.
Draft 2
Draft 3
The initial story was this: O. unilateralis has fine-tuned its parasitism so skillfully that it has a 100% kill rate upon infection. It directs its hosts, a rainforest-dwelling carpenter ant, to a leaf's underside with just the right humidity, temperature, and height from the ground. It is from here that the spores drop, covering a cubic meter of space. But if the fungus is so lethal, how are carpenter ant populations not wiped out? The answer lies in the life cycle of the carpenter ant: they nest in the forest canopy, far above where the spore disperal occurs. However, if by chance the ant colony needs to venture beyond what is accessible from the canopy, ants will travel along the forest floor. This is where they get caught.
Draft 3
After peer critique I finally arrived at a composition which prominently displayed a cross-section of the rainforest's layers in order to illustrate the joint life cycles of the two organisms. I separated the life cycle of Camponotus leonardi and Ophiocordyceps unilateralis so that each occupied its own side of the poster.
Initial compositional sketch
At first, I was most fascinated with the moment of infection and spore release.
Draft 1
As I learned more about the life cycles of the carpenter ant and its parasitic counterpart, I realized how complex the spatiotemporal relationships were between the two, and how difficult it was to find a single source showing the life cycles of both and how they intertwined.
Compositional sketch 2
After reading dozens of papers, I was finally able to piece together the intricacies of these two organism's relationship. The pieces finally came together and I realized the story that I wanted to tell.
Draft 2
Draft 3
The initial story was this: O. unilateralis has fine-tuned its parasitism so skillfully that it has a 100% kill rate upon infection. It directs its hosts, a rainforest-dwelling carpenter ant, to a leaf's underside with just the right humidity, temperature, and height from the ground. It is from here that the spores drop, covering a cubic meter of space. But if the fungus is so lethal, how are carpenter ant populations not wiped out? The answer lies in the life cycle of the carpenter ant: they nest in the forest canopy, far above where the spore disperal occurs. However, if by chance the ant colony needs to venture beyond what is accessible from the canopy, ants will travel along the forest floor. This is where they get caught.
Draft 3
After peer critique I finally arrived at a composition which prominently displayed a cross-section of the rainforest's layers in order to illustrate the joint life cycles of the two organisms. I separated the life cycle of Camponotus leonardi and Ophiocordyceps unilateralis so that each occupied its own side of the poster.
ii. 3d modeling
Camponotus leonardi eggs
C. leonardi larval stage
C. leonardi pupal stage
C. leonardi pupal stage
C. leonardi pupal stage
A C. leonardi queen
A full-grown, healthy, C. leonardi worker ant
Camponotus leonardi's "death grip"
The maturation of Ophiocordyceps unilateralis
A cross-section of the stoma, displaying the ascomata within
Another interpretation of the O. unilateralis stoma cross-section
The perithecium of O. unilateralis, containing many asci
The ascus of O. unilateralis, containing many ascospores within. They are forcefully released from the opening at the top.
The O. unilateralis ascospore, composed of eight "partspores"
Stage 1 conidia of O. unilateralis
Stage 2 conidia formation after the spores have fallen to the ground
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