Zombie fungi aren't just cool — they're extremely useful. Dr. Brian Lovett is back on the show to discuss the powers of entomopathogenic fungi. We get into the weeds of what makes these fungi equip for success as carnivores, transgenic engineering, the evolution of pathology and more. Brian also shares cutting edge research from the MosquitoSphere in Burkina Faso, where he and his team work to combat malaria using Metarhizium fungi. Topics Covered:Defining entomopathogenic fungiChemical signaling and mechanisms of infectionCircadian rhythms in fungi, and how entomopathogenic fungi time keep in their hostsMycopesticides, especially to fight Malaria in mosquitoes Transgenic engineering of fungi with spider venom genes to target insects Metarhizium as a platform fungi for board and narrow range target specific Current practices, successes and challenges in the fight against malariaEthics of developing and deploying biotechnology in international local communities Synergies between bio and chemical insecticidesUnique chemical  compositions of entomopathogenic fungiShow notes:Brian Lovett's website: https://www.lovettbr.com/Cordyceps unilateralis on the BBC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuKjBIBBAL8Genetically engineering fungal pesticides: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ps.4734The Insect Pathogens: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1128/9781555819583.ch45Zombie Insect Presentation with Genspace: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF7NOiREHlUArticles mentioned: https://www.bbc.com/news/health-48464510Transgenic Metarhizium: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/364/6443/894.abstract