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DESIGNER PRIONS. "In part because of their extreme weirdness, prions have a lot of potential. We may learn to exploit the prion's "tricks" and turn them into tools. Designer prions could someday be used to remodel brains, in order to cure mental diseases or forge artificial memories or implant nano-computer chips. Such futuristic tools could, of course, also be turned into weapons." http://www.strangehorizons.com/2004/20040216/killer.shtml View in LinkedIn

OTHER FORMS? "Proteins can and do change shape for many different reasons. If PrP can become a disease-causing prion, what about other proteins? So far, none have been identified. But, again, absence of proof is not proof of absence." http://www.strangehorizons.com/2004/20040216/killer.shtml View in LinkedIn

NO HYPOTHESIS. "The fact that any of a variety of TSE variants (“strains”) can propagate in mice with the same PrP protein sequence made many skeptical of the prion hypothesis because no mechanism for propagation of conformation was even hypothesized." https://lnkd.in/eTW5Tb4 View in LinkedIn

RELATIVE CONTRIBUTION to atmospheric formic acid has been estimated as follows (Tg/yr): atmospheric chemistry, 30; formicine ants, 0.6; motor vehicles, 0.002; biomass and refuse combustion,

SHAPE-CHANGING INFECTIVITY. "Why the shape change occurs is not clear. The prion apparently fascinates its PrP counterparts, for the PrP proteins take to the prion like social zeroes to a cult leader. And, like slavish cult members, the PrP proteins emulate their new leader, converting their helical structures into the flat beta-sheet conformation. This shape-changing is the equivalent of infection." http://www.strangehorizons.com/2004/20040216/killer.shtml View in LinkedIn

ANT FORMIC ACID VENOM biosynthesis pathway starts with serine, glycine and histidine to make formic acid (page 444). https://lnkd.in/eC6G2BW View in LinkedIn

PROTEIN GENES. "I was able to discover that yeast has prions (infectious proteins), proteins that are the carriers of genetic information, and thus are acting as genes...(our work) established that there are such things as genes made of protein, and led to an understanding of how proteins can encode and transmit heritable information." https://lnkd.in/eTW5Tb4 View in LinkedIn

A WETTING AGENT, undecane is co-secreted with formic acid from the Dufour gland as a method to spread the formic acid, as well as a pheromone to attract other workers, and as a trail marker. (Page 211). https://lnkd.in/etzgaTg View in LinkedIn

PRION LOGIC. "And prions are just proteins. No genetic material. So, logically, prions cannot cause infection. But prions have their own form of logic." Humbling. http://www.strangehorizons.com/2004/20040216/killer.shtml View in LinkedIn

MINOR COMPONENTS. "The formic acid in venom is spread over twice as large an area of the insect cuticle as the same concentration of control aqueous formic acid. He thus concludes that the white residue (amino acids) contributes to the toxicity of the formic acid by distributing the toxicant over a larger area than would be treated otherwise." Wetting agents as yet to be identified. https://lnkd.in/er4-M-a View in LinkedIn