Could fungi really be the last of us?

28 Feb 2023
Cordyceps
Cordyceps mushroom sprouting from the earth. Image: Gabi/Adobe Stock

The Last of Us has become a global television phenomenon, breaking records and receiving rave reviews in its debut season.

The post-apocalyptic zombie smash hit takes place 20 years after the collapse of civilisation, due to the rapid growth and spread of a real-life fungus called Cordyceps.

Based on the critically acclaimed video game of the same name, The Last of Us has scared, shocked, and made us fall in love with its characters.

But how realistic is the spread of Cordyceps? UQ researchers, Dr Leela Maya Rizal and Dr James Hereward, from the School of Biological Sciences, dissect the truth about this unique fungus.

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