It’s midweek and we’ve had several dreary days of rain, so perhaps it’s time to look at something that can give us a bit of cheer. And we have it in a new advance by the development of a new synthetic drug for use in testing for bacteria in certain medical products rather than using horseshoe crab blood as in the past.
The precipitous decline in horseshoe crabs has affected certain migratory birds that feed on the eggs, which in the past were laid by the millions. Horseshoe crabs are still only at 25% of the population levels of the early 1990s when they were harvested for their blood, which is blue—hmm, a lesson for would-be kings.
The crabs will start coming onto the shore within the next few weeks to start breeding. The oldest living crustacean, they’ve been around for at least 450 million years. Now that Big Pharma has found synthetic substitutes for their use, perhaps they’ll outlive us as well. God does work in mysterious ways.
Prayer for the Day
Let all the earth bless God, Creator and Sustainer of life.
And all that grows from the earth, forest and plain, give praise;
Let the rivers and springs and all who dwell therein, sing to God.
And the sound of dolphins and the leviathan resonate with song.
Let the bellow of frogs and toads join in their praise.
And all peoples of the earth praise God by sustaining the creation.
In the name of the One who gives us life in God,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen
Thoughts for the Day
Their actions will save thousands of horseshoe crabs a year, protecting shorebirds and coastal ecosystems, while also providing supply chain stability and ensuring patient safety. It’s a powerful and responsible step forward for all concerned.
David Mizrahi, NJ Audubon, Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition
We have been very open about our efforts, our data, our successes and setbacks in an effort to show our industry peers that it can be done and there are positive benefits to doing so.
Eli Lilly & /company statement n using synthetic testing agents
May the glory of the Lord endure forever; and God’s hands rejoice in their works,
Who looks upon the earth and it trembles,
Who touches the mountains and they smoke.
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live, and sing praise to God while I have being.
Psalm 104: 31: 33