How horseshoe crabs became the heroes of modern medicine

<p>This week on <em>Under the Radar with Callie Crossley</em>:</p> <p>Grateful for COVID-19 vaccines? You should be thanking a creature that has nine eyes and blue blood. No, it’s not a monster — it’s a horseshoe crab. Their special blood has created a multimillion dollar industry in pharmaceuticals. And they’re to thank, in part, for the development of the COVID-19 vaccine. But these “living fossils” are now threatened by overharvesting. What happens if we lose horseshoe crabs as a valuable resource?</p> <p><strong>Guest:</strong></p> <p><strong><a href="http://https//williamsargent.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">William Sargent</a></strong> is a consultant for the NOVA science series, and the author of 27 books, including <em>Crab Wars: A Tale of Horseshoe Crabs, Ecology, and Human Health</em>.</p>