The Black God: The Science Behind the Fungal Mold of Resident Evil
A Deep Dive into the Biology of the Wynorrific
By Reno Zhu
In Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, horror isn’t born from the supernatural, but from a simple spore. The fungal mold, known as the Black God, takes nature’s darkest capabilities to the extreme, terrorizing its hosts and victims. This deadly mold proves to be a seemingly impossible antagonist in the game, controlling its victims with its superior communication abilities and incorporating external genetic material to quickly adapt to its environment.
The Black God draws inspiration from real-life fungi such as the Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, a parasitic fungus that invades the bodies and minds of ants for nutrients and reproduction, turning the ant into a minion for the fungus’ propagation.1 The Black God exhibits an even more sinister level of control. Similarly to cordyceps, the Black God can infect humans who have inhaled its spores or come into contact with it through wounds, and by the time the victim has realized its presence, it is already too late. They are brought under its control, subject to its every whim as one with the colony, and can only watch on in horror as their body is puppeteered.
The mold displays refined communication abilities, eerily similar to many fungi found today. Specifically, the Black God uses a communication method called quorum sensing. Quorum sensing is used by real-life fungi to warn fellow fungi colonies of incoming danger. Small diffusible molecules capable of chemical signaling are released into the extracellular environment, with the number of molecules increasing as more cells join the group. Once the molecules release a strong enough signal, the fungi within the colony begin acting together, coordinating together to form protective biofilms2 as well being able to communicate with each other. While quorum sensing is usually used for efficient resource access and protection, the Black God’s influence on its victims usually leads to a lack of autonomy and even death. The Black God releases various neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and serotonin, to make its victims complacent and unwilling to fight against it as they slowly surrender to their own body3. High levels of dopamine can produce an euphoric and energized state, while serotonin makes the body feel happier and calmer. The person is essentially trapped into a state of euphoria by the parasitic mold, making them less aware of themselves. These neurotransmitters may also affect the insular cortex, the part of the brain that controls decision making and self-awareness, by destroying the neurons in the area and thereby, allow the host to be more easily manipulated4. Excessive levels of dopamine and serotonin can lead to neuronal hyperexcitability, a phenomenon possible with our own cells. Hyperexcited, or overactivated neurons, can swell in volume to the point of “exploding”.5 Once the host loses their autonomy, the empty husk of the host, powerless to fight back, is forced to act on the Black God’s orders.
Another deadly trait that the mold has is its ability to use horizontal gene transfer (HGT). HGT is a process where DNA from a mold’s predators and prey are acquired into their own genome, sometimes even incorporated into their fruiting bodies and spores for the next generation of mold7. Slime molds in our own world use HGT6 as it helps them increase their genetic diversity, and thus be better able to adapt to different environments faster and become stronger. On the other hand, the Black God absorbs the DNA of its victims when it infects them and then distributes the victim’s DNA throughout the colony. Within the game, this ability is portrayed to enable the mold to take the form of its victims, allowing it to manipulate its appearance to trick others.
However, a benefit of having the host’s DNA is that the Black God can help its host heal wounds, sometimes reattaching or even reforming limbs. The mold pierces the body’s cell membranes with its filaments, hijacking endogenous pathways to force cell division, even in “dormant” cells such as neurons8. This hijacking of natural signalling pathways allows the Black God to induce the regrowth of entire limbs. Throughout the game, the mold’s unthinkably quick regenerative abilities make it almost immortal. The key factor here for the regeneration of limbs is the Black God’s ability to re-activate the “growing” pathway. While this method of regeneration seems outlandish, scientists are looking into the regrowth of limbs by activating dormant genes within us that allows us to regenerate limbs9. Perhaps one day a parasitic fungal mold will be the one to help us unlock these genes.
Despite sharing many similarities to biological phenomena in our everyday lives, a fungus such as the Black God is very, extremely unlikely. Fungal infections rarely have lasting consequences and are mostly treatable and curable. Furthermore, human biology is also complex enough that it would be difficult for a fungal species to not only sedate us, but also control our movements as well as replicate our physical form. While it is a great source of both fear and worship in the world of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, perhaps we can take a few tips from its beneficial properties to contribute to the field of health science and medicine. With future research and discoveries, perhaps we can unlock our genes to their full potential, extending our livelihood and improving our quality of life with less sickness and injuries - hopefully without being controlled by a malevolent fungal mold trying to hijack our body.
References:
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[4] Tisserand, A et al. (2023) Me, Myself and My Insula: An Oasis in the Forefront of Self-Consciousness. Biology 12 (4), 2-5 https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12040599
[5] Morales, H & Tuz, K (2006) Volume changes in neurons: hyperexcitability and neuronal death. Karger 152, 1-2, https://doi.org/10.1159/isbn.978-3-318-01393-1
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17065815/
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[8] Shapiro, P et al. (2016) Activation of the MKK/ERK Pathway during Somatic Cell Mitosis: Direct Interactions of Active ERK with Kinetochores and Regulation of the Mitotic 3F3/2 Phosphoantigen. J Cell Biol 106, 4-7 https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.142.6.1533
[9] King, B & Yin, V (2016) A Conserved MicroRNA Regulatory Circuit Is Differentially Controlled during Limb/Appendage Regeneration. Plos One 11 (6), 1 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0157106