Ecological Evening: Managing Horseshoe Crab Conservation In a Time of COVID

When: May 11th, 2021 from 6:30pm-7:30pm

Join us via Zoom

Presenter: Norman R. Wainwright, Ph.D.

Senior Director, Research & Development

Charles River Laboratories, Inc.

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https://rutgers.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJctdOqgqDgjHNRO2C_mSOcRtsUqqq_B6BMX

The LAL reagent, comprised of enzymes from the American Horseshoe Crab (Limulus polyphemus), is an essential test to assure pharmaceuticals and medical products are free of potentially life-threatening bacterial contamination. This is true for routine production as well as new product development, such as the current flurry of new vaccines and drugs to address COVID-19. Does this create a stress on supplies of LAL? Are there alternatives that could alleviate the situation? What is the possibility of using recombinant DNA technology to fill this need? We’ll discuss this in the context of medical needs and conservation concerns.