In the laboratory, the scientists replicated the platypus milk protein responsible for its antibacterial powers and gave it a long, hard inspection. Their results were recently published in the journal Structural Biology Communications.
They wanted to examine the almighty prowess of platypus milk and attempt to understand why it’s so potent. Recently, a team of researchers from Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Oganization (CSIRO) combined forces with Deakin University in Victoria, also in Australia. The authors report that proteins in their milk “were effective in killing a broad range of bacterial pathogens.” So, how on earth could such a natural oddity help to save the human race from the horrors of antibiotic resistance? Well, the answer might lie in its milk.Īccording to an earlier study, platypus milk contains unique antibacterial properties. O.K., I think I’ve adequately emphasized just how unusual the platypus is.
Also, baby platypuses are born with teeth, but, at an early age, they all fall out, leaving a horny plate. The strangeness doesn’t stop there, however the female has two ovaries - no surprise - but only the left one actually works. She has a duck-like bill and a beaver-like tail, and she is one of the very few venomous mammals. She’s hairy and warm-blooded, similar to standard mammals, yet she lays eggs. The former is one of the most iconic and baffling animals on the planet. Platypuses are monotremes - that is, a subgroup of mammals that comprises just five species (the platypus and four species of the hedgehog-like echidna). The platypus needs no introduction, but I’ll give you one anyway because they’re just so pleasing to consider. Can this reclusive, semi-aquatic weirdo lift this sense of impending doom? On this dimly lit and deeply worrying backdrop, the platypus waddles into the spotlight. The World Health Organization (WHO) pull no punches when they write, “Without urgent action, we are heading for a post-antibiotic era, in which common infections and minor injuries can once again kill.”Īs we use these drugs more and more, an increasing number are becoming ineffective. Once bacteria have developed an ambivalence to these drugs, they are able to survive their onslaught and pass antibiotic-resistant genes onto the next generation.īut today, diseases that were once very easily treatable with antibiotics - such as pneumonia and tuberculosis - are becoming life-threatening. In a nutshell, antibiotic resistance occurs when a species of bacteria becomes immune to antibiotics. In fact, many scientists consider it to be one of the “world’s most pressing public health problems.” Share on Pinterest The platypus is a conundrum of a creature with miraculous milk.Īntibiotic resistance is a topic that sits squarely in the center of medical researchers’ minds it’s a huge concern.
0 kommentar(er)
