Cryptobiosis, Extremophily, and the Nature of Life

the blood of ducks that had been fed a poisonous weed Traditionally, living things were distinguished from inanimate objects like rocks by their motility and growth, to protect himself against poisoning by his enemies. more than by an ability to reproduce. Emphasis on repro-Today, a potion made from poison oak is available at ductive continuity arose only in the 17 th century when homeopathic pharmacies to protect against the risk of microscopists discovered cells and Leeuwenhoek first poison oak. saw protozoa and bacteria and considered that even the Encouraged by some early results in animals, Weiner tiniest animalcules multiply only from like kinds. Henry decided to pursue the cure of not only MS but also Power noted that vinegar nematode worms could sur-rheumatoid arthritis, giving by mouth the brain sub-vive freezing and in the next century Reaumur found stance myelin to MS patients and collagen-rich cartilage that some caterpillars could also. At first this suspended from calf noses to the arthritis patients. As optimism animation, or cryptobiosis, was confused with death and and excitement increased, the search became one ca-resurrection. But we now know that many nematodes, pable of attracting venture capital and biotech firms. rotifers, tardigrades, arthropods, and microorganisms Quinn's book captures this anticipating atmosphere in can survive freezing and/or drying, as can many seeds a highly readable form, taking in not only Wall Street and fungal or other spores. but the media and academe as well. I used to tell my students that the ability of brine The early positive screening results were, sad to say, shrimp (Artemia) cysts to survive freezing close to abso-not substantiated in the chronic clinical trials. Improve-lute zero means that all the information for a living organ-ment was seen in some patients, but the results did not ism is structural—physically embodied in the structure show a significant advantage of active treatment over and three-dimensional arrangement of our constituent placebo. The conclusion was heart breaking and the molecules. Molecular motion is needed only during reader gets caught up in the anticipation as the bad growth and function and is therefore less fundamental news is reported for each trial. than structure. Wharton is an expert in animal cryptobio-The process of drug development is slow, expensive, sis, which he accurately expounds here for the general and risky. This book was published before the latest public. But his canvas is much broader, encompassing report from the Tufts …