Question: Is there a danger that Pandora neoaphidis could mutate and become a killer fungus?

Liam Harvey answered on 13 Jun 2014:

Hi aec1,
Cool question! By killer fungus I think you mean a fungus that could potentially kill everything on earth?!
Insects have very simplified immune systems compared to mammals and ones that are entirely different from plants. I say this because in order to be pathogenic (pathogenic means able to kill) to such a wide range of hosts from mammals to plants an organism would have to have many different adaptations to over come each hosts defence system (Their immune response. Immune response in this sense could be a physiological response such as the production of antibodies or a behavioural response such as behavioural fever).

The wide range of defences employed by such a wide range of host species would require Pandora neoaphidis to undergo a gigantic change in its DNA in the absence of any selective pressure by natural selection, which is unlikely. Having said that mutations are random and should a mutation occur in the right place or more likely a multitude of mutations occur in the right places it is plausible but not feasible. Mainly because of the random nature of mutations and the lack of any kind of selective pressure for Pandora neoaphidis to become a killer fungus to all living things. Having said that Pandora neoaphidis lacks any of equipment to infect other species so the variability in the genome isn’t available to be selected for in the first place making evolution of a killer fungus even more unlikely.

Really good question.

Hope that helps and doesn’t keep you up at night ha!

Liam