Here Be Dragons De novo-assisted sequencing with ETD-MS unearths antimicrobial peptides in Komodo dragon plasma Rich Whitworth | 03/16/2017











Komodo dragons have dirty mouths. It’s not that they swear like sailors, but rather that their saliva is teeming with pathogenic bacteria. And though dental hygiene (or lack thereof) is no longer thought to be the only source of its deadly bite (the discovery of venom glands has fueled a little-known debate in reptile research circles...), the monitor lizard does need to be capable of recovering from nasty septic wounds inflicted by competing dragons, which is thought to have led to a particularly robust immune system.

Read the full article now Log in or register to read this article in full and gain access to The Analytical Scientist’s entire content archive. It’s FREE and always will be! Login Email Password Forgot your password? Keep me logged in Log in Or register now - it’s free and always will be! You will benefit from: Unlimited access to ALL articles

News, interviews & opinions from leading industry experts

Receive print (and PDF) copies of The Analytical Scientist magazine Register Or Login via Social Media Twitter By clicking on any of the above social media links, you are agreeing to our Privacy Notice.

About the Author

Rich Whitworth

Rich Whitworth completed his studies in medical biochemistry at the University of Leicester, UK, in 1998. To cut a long story short, he escaped to Tokyo to spend five years working for the largest English language publisher in Japan. "Carving out a career in the megalopolis that is Tokyo changed my outlook forever. When seeing life through such a kaleidoscopic lens, it's hard not to get truly caught up in the moment." On returning to the UK, after a few false starts with grey, corporate publishers, Rich was snapped up by Texere Publishing, where he spearheaded the editorial development of The Analytical Scientist. "I feel honored to be part of the close-knit team that forged The Analytical Scientist – we've created a very fresh and forward-thinking publication." Rich is now also Content Director of Texere Publishing, the company behind The Analytical Scientist.