Scholars Award: The Political and Material Ecology of Horseshoe Crabs in the Biomedical Industry

这个项目解决了美国公共卫生基础设施的一个重要部分：马蹄蟹血液的裂解物。鲎变形虫细胞裂解液（Lysate或LAL）是从马蹄蟹的血液中提取的，是美国食品和药物管理局（FDA）批准的唯一检测药物、手术工具、植入物和疫苗中内毒素存在的方法。该项目通过实验室、制药机构和FDA和大西洋国家海洋渔业委员会（ASMFC）等监管机构跟踪马蹄蟹收获的裂解液的生产，将仔细审查自然资源保护、生物医学产业监管以及生态和医学科学之间关系的复杂性。在有关马蹄蟹渔业的辩论中，涉及到环境治理的伦理、人类健康的保护和科学知识的进步。由于这项研究是在一所高等教育机构进行的，该项目的其他好处包括直接投入环境管理过程，增加学生（包括服务不足社区的学生）在环境研究方面的教育机会，以及向学术界和一般读者传播研究成果。本项目是对大西洋马蹄蟹（Limulus polyphemus）生物医学用途的多地点、混合方法研究。马蹄蟹血的衍生物——鲎变形虫细胞裂解液（LAL或Lysate）——在生物制药工业中用于检测内毒素。该项目将重点关注大西洋州海洋渔业委员会（ASMFC或委员会）对马蹄蟹血液的提取和循环进行监管的努力，以及工业界在继续采集血液进行LAL测试的同时降低死亡率的努力。通过历史研究、半结构化访谈和实地考察，本项目分析了对人类经济、沿海生态系统和公共卫生至关重要的自然资源的复杂政治生态。这个项目的问题是：这些海洋生物和它们的生物材料是如何在不同的认识论、法律、工业和生物生态途径中循环的，以及有什么后果？了解马蹄蟹保护、公共卫生监管和生物医学知识产生的复杂性不仅与科学和监管社区有关，而且将引起环境人文和科学研究学者的浓厚兴趣。预计这项研究将产生许多更广泛的影响，包括丰富本科课程，有机会指导有相关研究兴趣的学生，以及与RIT大量聋人/听力障碍学生等服务不足的社区开展持续工作。环境研究和科学研究学者、马蹄蟹行业的利益相关者和政策制定者将对此感兴趣。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project addresses a vital part of the U.S. public health infrastructure: lysate from horseshoe crab blood. Limulus Amoebocyte Lysate (lysate or LAL) is derived from the blood of horseshoe crabs, and is the only method approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to detect the presence of endotoxins in pharmaceuticals, surgical tools, implants, and vaccines. By following the production of lysate from horseshoe crab harvesting through bleeding labs, pharmaceutical facilities, and regulatory bodies like the FDA and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), this project will scrutinize the intricacies of natural resource conservation, regulation of the biomedical industry, and the relationships between ecological and medical science. At stake in the debate over horseshoe crab fisheries are the ethics of environmental governance, protection of human health, and advancement of scientific knowledge. As this research is being done at an institute of higher education, additional benefits of the project include direct input into environmental regulatory processes, enhancement of educational opportunities for students – including those in under-served communities – in environmental studies, and dissemination of research products to both academic and general audiences.This project is a multi-sited, mixed-method study of the biomedical use of Atlantic horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus). A derivative of horseshoe crab blood -- Limulus Amoebocyte Lysate (LAL or Lysate) – is used to test endotoxins in the bio-pharmaceutical industry. This project will focus on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC or Commission) attempts to regulate the extraction and circulation of horseshoe crab blood as well as industry attempts to reduce mortality rates while continuing to harvest blood for LAL testing. Through historical research, semi-structured interviews, and site visits, this project analyzes the complex political ecologies of a natural resource vital to human economies, coastal ecosystems, and public health. This project asks: how do these marine organisms and their biomaterials circulate within and through different epistemological, legal, industrial, and bio-ecological pathways, and with what ramifications? Understanding the intricacies of horseshoe crab conservation, public health regulation, and biomedical knowledge generation is not only relevant to the scientific and regulatory communities involved, but will be of intense interest to environmental humanities and science studies scholars. A number of broader impacts are envisioned for this study, including undergraduate course enrichment, the opportunity to mentor students with related research interests, and ongoing work with underserved communities like the large Deaf/Hard of Hearing student population at RIT. It will be of interest to environmental studies and science studies scholars, as well as stakeholders in the horseshoe crab industry and policy makers.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.