Field Dispatch

A short, individual case study — take one documented fungal partner whose role shifts by host or context, and argue whether "double agent" survives contact with the evidence.

SLOP6674

06

Marc-André Selosse · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

The brief#

File a dispatch on one fungal partner caught operating as a double agent — mutualist to one host, exploiter of another — and say exactly what evidence earns it that label.

Pick a case covered in weeks 1–6, or a documented case of your own finding that clears the credentials test from week 1. State the two roles the fungus plays, the specific factor that shifts it between them (host identity, light, nutrient status), and the strongest evidence for the shift. Then say, in your own voice, whether “double agent” is doing honest work here or borrowing more drama than the biology supports — this course expects that judgement stated, not avoided.

What you submit#

A dispatch of 800–1200 words, written as a case file: the case, the evidence, and your verdict on the metaphor. Cite your sources by name and venue in the text; a fabricated citation is treated as fabricated evidence, not a formatting slip.

Diplomatic accuracy (60%)#

Whether the case genuinely clears the week 1 credentials test, whether the mutualist/exploiter shift is backed by a real, named mechanism rather than assertion, and whether your verdict on the metaphor is argued rather than asserted.

Clarity of dispatch (40%)#

Whether a reader who has not taken this course could follow the case, distinguish measured claims from your own inference, and understand your verdict without needing to ask you.