Publications

Publications

2025

• Beckerson WC, Werner S, Goebbels M, Ramalho JJ, Soroka I, Wingert ST, Swafford AJM, Ruijtenberg S, Boxem M, Stephens GJ, van den Heuvel S, de Bekker C. (2025). The First of Us: Ophiocordyceps use a novel scramblase-binding peptide to manipulate zombie ants. bioRxiv Preprint. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.09.09.674826

• Beckerson WC. (2025). Neuroparasitology: Fungal effectors induce feeding in zombie silkworms. Current Biology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2025.06.069

• Barnhart J**, Roosmalen E, Beckerson WC, de Bekker C, Swafford AJM. (2025). A reproducible pipeline for circadian rhythm analysis of automated extraction of insect behavioral and social dynamics. bioRxiv Preprint available

• Beckerson WC, Goebbels M, Miller BJ, St. Charles N, Murray J, de Bekker C. (2025). Zombie Ants VR: Trial-and-error gameplay mechanics can be used to teach players about natural selection. EdArXiv Preprint. https://doi.org/10.35542/osf.io/qm8v2_v2

• Beckerson WC, Krider C**, Mohammad U**, de Bekker C. (2025). Which chemical makes ants walk like zombies? In: Panayotova E & Firth F. Science Journal for Kids. https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/which-chemical-makes-ants-walk-like-zombies/. adapted from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2023.06.011

2024

• Tsai MC, Barati MT, Kuppireddy VS, Beckerson WC, Long G**, Perlin MH. (2024). Characterization of Microbotryum lychnidis-dioicae secreted effector proteins, their potential host targets, and localization in a heterologous host plant. Journal of Fungi 10(4), 262. https://doi.org/10.3390/jof10040262

• Beckerson WC. (2024). Replicating Darwin’s Theory: Teaching evolution with microbiology by means of replica plating. CourseSource. https://doi.org/10.24918/cs.2024.34

• Beckerson WC, Anderson JO, Kulkarni S, Perpich JD, Yoder-Himes D. (2024). It’s About Time: Exploring the dose-dependent effects of active learning on students of different social personalities in an upper-level biology course. Journal of College Science Teaching. https://doi.org/10.1080/0047231X.2024.2316378

• Beckerson WC, Laraba I, Torres-Cruz TJ, Steinkraus D, Hajek A. (2024). Mechanisms of Host Manipulation and Mimicry in Fungi. In: Haelewaters D. (ed.) Biodiversity and Evolution of Fungal Parasites and Pathogens. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier. (ISBN: 978-0323885324). Authorea Preprint. https://doi.org/10.22541/au.172124619.90197485/v1

2023

• Beckerson WC, Krider C**, Mohammad UA**, de Bekker C. (2023). 28 Minutes Later: Investigating the role of aflatrem-like compounds in Ophiocordyceps parasite manipulation of zombie ants. Animal Behaviour 203, 225-240. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2023.06.011

• Will I, Beckerson WC, de Bekker C. (2023). Using machine learning to predict protein-protein interactions between a zombie ant fungus and its carpenter ant host. Scientific Reports 13, 13821. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-40764-8

• De Bekker C, Beckerson WC, Carolyn Elya (2023). How do some fungi turn insects into zombies? In: Panayotova E & Firth F. Science Journal for Kids. https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/how-do-some-fungi-turn-insects-into-zombies/. adapted from: https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.01872-21

2022

• Beckerson WC. (2022). Small Organisms with Big Consequences: Understanding the microbial world around us. CourseSource. https://doi.org/10.24918/cs.2022.27

​2021

• De Bekker C, Beckerson WC, Carolyn Elya. (2021). Mechanisms Behind the Madness: How do zombie-making fungal entomopathogens affect host behavior to increase transmission? mBio 12(5), e01872-21. https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.01872-21

2020

• Beckerson WC, Anderson JO, Perpich JD, Yoder-Himes D. (2020). An Introvert’s Perspective: Analyzing the impact of active learning on social personalities in an upper-level biology course. Journal of College Science Teaching 49(3), 47-57. https://doi.org/10.2505/4/jcst20_049_03_47​​​