Crab Wars

Download or read book Crab Wars written by William Sargent and published by University Press of New England. This book was released on 2014-07-22 with total page 145 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Surviving almost unmolested for 300 million years, the horseshoe crab is now the object of an intense legal and ethical struggle involving marine biologists, environmentalists, US government officials, biotechnologists, and international corporations. The source of this friction is the discovery 25 years ago that the blood of these ancient creatures serves as the basis for the most reliable test for the deadly and ubiquitous gram-negative bacteria. These bacteria are responsible for life-threatening diseases like menengitis, typhoid, E. coli, Legionnaire's Disease and toxic shock syndrome. Because every drug certified by the FDA must be tested using the horseshoe crab derivative known as Limulus lysate, a multimillion dollar industry has emerged involving the license to "bleed" horseshoe crabs and the rights to their breeding grounds. Since his youthful fascination with these ancient creatures, William Sargent has spent much of his life observing, studying, and collecting horseshoe crabs. As a result, he presents a thoroughly accessible insider's guide to the discovery of the lysate test, the exploitation of the crabs at the hands of multinational pharmaceutical conglomerates, local fishing interests, and the legal and governmental wrangling over the creatures' ultimate fate. In the end, the story of the horseshoe crab is a sobering reflection on the unintended consequences of scientific progress and the danger of self-regulated industries controlling a limited natural resource.

Download or read book Crab Wars written by William Sargent and published by University Press of New England. This book was released on 2006-02-28 with total page 137 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Surviving almost unmolested for 300 million years, the horseshoe crab is now the object of an intense legal and ethical struggle involving marine biologists, environmentalists, US government officials, biotechnologists, and international corporations. The source of this friction is the discovery 25 years ago that the blood of these ancient creatures serves as the basis for the most reliable test for the deadly and ubiquitous gram-negative bacteria. These bacteria are responsible for life-threatening diseases like menengitis, typhoid, E. coli, Legionnaire's Disease and toxic shock syndrome. Because every drug certified by the FDA must be tested using the horseshoe crab derivative known as Limulus lysate, a multimillion dollar industry has emerged involving the license to "bleed" horseshoe crabs and the rights to their breeding grounds. Since his youthful fascination with these ancient creatures, William Sargent has spent much of his life observing, studying, and collecting horseshoe crabs. As a result, he presents a thoroughly accessible insider's guide to the discovery of the lysate test, the exploitation of the crabs at the hands of multinational pharmaceutical conglomerates, local fishing interests, and the legal and governmental wrangling over the creatures' ultimate fate. In the end, the story of the horseshoe crab is a sobering reflection on the unintended consequences of scientific progress and the danger of self-regulated industries controlling a limited natural resource.

Download or read book Crab Wars written by Chris Sugden and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 237 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The American Horseshoe Crab written by Carl Nathaniel Shuster and published by Belknap Press. This book was released on 2003 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book brings together 20 scientists who have worked on all aspects of horseshoe crab biology to compile the first fully detailed, comprehensive view of Limulus polyphemus. An indispensable resource, the volume describes behavior, natural history, and ecology; anatomy, physiology, distribution, development, and life cycle.

Download or read book Writing Naturally written by William Sargent and published by UPNE. This book was released on 2006 with total page 174 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A science writer reflects on his journey into the profession.

Download or read book Horseshoe Crab written by Anthony D. Fredericks and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Traveling from the Delaware Bay to the Florida Panhandle, this examination is a quest through the natural history and science behind one of nature's oldest and oddest survivors--the horseshoe crab. With ten eyes, five pairs of walking legs, a heart half the length of their bodies, and blood that can save a person's life, horseshoe crabs have been on this planet for 445 million years--since long before the dinosaurs arrived. This book explores their unique biology and sex life, explains their importance to medical science and migratory shorebirds, and introduces readers to the people who are working to study and protect them.

Download or read book Into the Known Universe written by James R.D. Hilton and published by FriesenPress. This book was released on 2024-03-07 with total page 291 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Junior Reclamation Agent Stuart Bode is offered the promotion of his dreams (with a private office to boot) in exchange for a seemingly simple task: tracking down a stolen corporate freighter and recovering its cargo. “If the cargo ain’t recoverable,” his boss, Asset Protection Commander Proseus Oort II, growls, “terminate it.” Stuart’s simple assignment becomes decidedly less so when he finds the missing freighter only to discover that the “cargo” is none other than Janna, Commander Oort’s runaway bride. Hell-bent on seeing the stars, she has no intention of allowing Stuart or anyone else to reclaim her, no matter how spacious his new office is. Stuart is faced with a terrible choice: complete his assignment and secure his promotion or allow Janna to escape while he returns to Oort to face the consequences. He’s still deciding when the pirates show up. Though their journey into the known universe is just beginning, it’s shaping up to be one hell of a ride.