The marine cone snail produces a combination of chemicals in its saliva that could make a very effective painkiller.
Scientists have developed a new pain-relief pill from a chemical used by sea snails to catch their prey. It was found to be as effective as morphine for relieving the most severe forms of pain but without the added risk of addiction.
Continue reading… “New Painkiller as Strong as Morphine Developed From Snail Spit”
Mark Nicas has given some of his best years to spittle. He builds models – the mathematical kind – of how someone else’s slobber ends up on you. The size of the particles, whether they come out in a dry cough or a wet sneeze, their evaporation rate, air speed – these are all complications, reasons why people like Nicas can spend careers piling up academic papers, all the while building up a healthy respect for pathogens.
Continue reading… “Study Of Spit To Learn How Germs Spread”