How horseshoe crabs became the heroes of modern medicine

This week on Under the Radar with Callie Crossley:

Grateful for COVID-19 vaccines? You should be thanking a creature that has nine eyes and blue blood. No, it’s not a monster — it’s a horseshoe crab. Their special blood has created a multimillion dollar industry in pharmaceuticals. And they’re to thank, in part, for the development of the COVID-19 vaccine. But these “living fossils” are now threatened by overharvesting. What happens if we lose horseshoe crabs as a valuable resource?

Guest:

William Sargent is a consultant for the NOVA science series, and the author of 27 books, including Crab Wars: A Tale of Horseshoe Crabs, Ecology, and Human Health.