Poisons or medicines? Cyanobacteria toxins protect tiny lake dwellers from parasites

Poisons or medicines? Cyanobacteria toxins protect tiny lake dwellers from parasites

5 years ago
Anonymous $Dftgs0JzgE

https://phys.org/news/2019-01-poisons-medicines-cyanobacteria-toxins-tiny.html

The laboratory-based study shows that tiny, shrimp-like freshwater crustaceans called Daphnia can gain protection from fungal parasites by consuming toxins produced by bloom-forming cyanobacteria. Commonly known as water fleas, Daphnia play a key role in freshwater food webs and are a vital food source for many fish.

The U-M researchers plan follow-up studies to see if the protective effects they observed in the lab are also occurring in lakes. They'll also explore the potential of developing anti-fungal drugs for human use.