Publication

2002-09-01 - University Press of New England

Language

English

Word Count

52,000 words, Guess

Page Count

208 pages

Physical Format

Hardcover

Identifiers

and 3 more

Classifications

  • LCCQL447.7 .S27 2002
  • LCCQL447.7.S27 2002

Description

"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, U.S. government officials, biotechnologists, and international corporations. The source of this friction is the discovery twenty-five 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 such life-threatening diseases as meningitis, 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 access rights to their breeding grounds."--BOOK JACKET.

First Sentence

IT IS EARLY MORNING.

Subjects

Other Editions

  • Crab Wars: A Tale of Horseshoe Crabs, Bioterrorism, and Human HealthHardcoverUniversity Press of New England2002-09-01

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