Scientists identify viral gene driving sick gypsy moth caterpillars to climb high and die
Thursday, September 8, 2011 - 15:31
in Biology & Nature
For a century, scientists have watched European gypsy moth caterpillars infected with a virus use their last strength to do something that a healthy gypsy moth caterpillar would never do in daylight hours -- climb high into a tree and onto a leaf. For scientists, the question has been how does a virus change its host's behavior?