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.

A timely look at the exploitation of a species that has helped with the development of countless drugs and is fast becoming endangered. 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. William Sargent presents a thoroughly accessible insider's guide to the discovery of the lysate test, the exploitation of the horseshoe crab 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. This new edition brings the story up to date as companies race to manufacture alternatives to the horseshoe crab blood, which is now essential for testing vaccines such as those being developed to counter COVID-19. However, horseshoe crab populations are still dwindling, with profound implications not only for the future of the crabs themselves but also for the ecosystems that depend on them.

What is a crab? What significance do crabs play in the world? In Crab, Cynthia Chris reveals that these charming creatures are social by nature, creative problem-solvers, and invaluable members of the environments in which they live. Their formidable physical forms, their hard-to-harvest and quick-to-spoil flesh, and their sassy demeanor have inspired artists and writers from Vincent van Gogh to Jean-Paul Sartre. Chris sketches vivid portraits of these animals, tracing the history of the crab through its ancient fossil record to its essential role in protecting its own habitats from the threat of climate change.

A science writer reflects on his journey into the profession.

In Judo Games Derek Scott, 3rd Dan and Experienced judo instructor and Dan Grade Examiner, teaches a collection of almost 100 games and exercises with easy to understand diagrams and simple clear explanations, making it easy to introduce them into your club. Judo Games will introduce you to new games and exercises, show you variations of games you use already and remind you of games you used to use in your class. This is the only book of games for a judo or other martial arts club you will ever need.

Endotoxin detection and control is a dynamic area of applied science that touches a vast number of complex subjects. The intersection of test activities includes the use of an ancient blood system from an odd “living fossil” (Limulus). It is used to detect remnants of the most primitive and destructive forms of life (prokaryotes) as contaminants of complex modern systems (mammalian and Pharma). Recent challenges in the field include those associated with the application of traditional methods to new types of molecules and manufacturing processes. The advent of “at will” production of biologics in lieu of harvesting animal proteins has revolutionized the treatment of disease. While the fruits of the biotechnology revolution are widely acknowledged, the realization of the differences in the means of production and changes in the manner of control of potential impurities and contaminants in regard to the new versus the old are less widely appreciated. Endotoxin as an ancient, dynamic interface between lifeforms, provides a singular perspective from which to view the parallel development of ancient and modern organisms as well as the progress of man in deciphering the complexity of their interactions in his efforts to overcome disease.