Horseshoe Crabs

This ancient species is an important part of the ecosystem, especially for shore birds that rely on the crab's crab eggs to fuel their long migrations. Horseshoe crab blood is also being used in many bio medical applications, including COVID vaccinations. But there are concerns the horseshoe crab numbers are declining. On The Point, we discuss threats to horseshoe crabs, conservation efforts, and synthetic alternatives to horse shoe crab blood currently under development.
Guests on the program are as follows:
Deborah Cramer, Visiting Scholar, Environmental Solutions Initiative – MIT
Jay Bolden, senior biologist with Eli Lilly Company working on a synthetic molecule to replace horseshoe crab blood in biomedical applications.
Christopher Earl, biologist who serves as a board member and advisor to biotechnology companies and non-profit organizations.