Prized Science Episode 4: Taming the Red Tides

Red tides are phenomena in which certain pigmented algae ― toxic algae ― undergo population explosions. Health officials ban fishing for oysters, shrimp and other shellfish ― if they detect a red tide. If not, unsuspecting consumers get hit with a virtual tidal wave called neurotoxic shellfish or paralytic shellfish poisoning. That may change thanks to the research of Michael Crimmins, a scientist at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. His work focuses on brevetoxin A ― the poison in neurotoxic shellfish poisoning. For that research, the American Chemical Society awarded Crimmins its 2010 Ernest Guenther Award in the Chemistry of Natural Products.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• : Ernest Guenther Award
• Chemistry of Natural Products
• Michael Crimmins
• Ph.D.
• American Chemical Society
• Office of Public Affairs
• Red Tides
• Neurotoxic shellfish poisoning
• Prized Science
• ACS
• Taming the Red Tides
• Prized Science Episode 4
• Red Algae
• Chemistry
• Natural Products
• fishing
• brevetoxin A

[surfboardhacker]

I just got hit with this tonight. Spent the evening in the local emergency room where they thought it was an allergic reaction, but after googling I am not certain it was paralytic shellfish toxin because of the numbness I experienced in my face arm and legs and the weird lightheaded spacy feeling. I have no idea, but it came on within 15 minutes of eating some soup with clams and scallops, a soup I have had at least 6 times before this. It was VERY scary. I thought I was dying.