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The Conversation USA

Horseshoe crab blood is vital for testing intravenous drugs, but new synthetic alternatives could mean pharma won't bleed this unique species dry

  • Written by Kristoffer Whitney, Associate Professor of Science, Technology and Society, Rochester Institute of Technology
imageHorseshoe crabs in spawning season at Reeds Beach, N.J., on June 13, 2023.AP Photo/Matt Rourke

If you have ever gotten a vaccine or received an intravenous drug and did not come down with a potentially life-threatening fever, you can thank a horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus).

How can animals that are often called living fossils, because they have...

Read more: Horseshoe crab blood is vital for testing intravenous drugs, but new synthetic alternatives could...

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