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

该项目涉及美国公共卫生基础设施的重要组成部分：鲎血裂解物。 鲎试剂（鲎试剂或LAL）来源于鲎的血液，是美国食品药品监督管理局（FDA）批准的唯一一种检测药物、手术工具、植入物和疫苗中内毒素的方法。 通过以下从鲎收获通过出血实验室，制药设施和监管机构，如FDA和大西洋国家海洋渔业委员会（ASMFC）的裂解物的生产，该项目将仔细审查自然资源保护，生物医学行业的监管，以及生态和医学科学之间的关系的复杂性。 关于马蹄蟹渔业的辩论涉及环境治理的道德、保护人类健康和科学知识的进步。 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受众传播研究成果。大西洋马蹄蟹生物医学用途的混合方法研究。 鲎血的衍生物-鲎变形细胞溶解物（LAL或Lysate）-用于生物制药行业的内毒素检测。该项目将重点关注大西洋国家海洋渔业委员会（ASMFC或委员会）试图规范马蹄蟹血液的提取和循环，以及行业试图降低死亡率，同时继续采集血液进行LAL测试。 通过历史研究，半结构化访谈和实地考察，该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。 该项目要求：这些海洋生物及其生物材料如何在不同的认识论、法律的、工业和生物生态途径中循环，并产生什么后果？ 理解马蹄蟹保护，公共卫生监管和生物医学知识生成的复杂性不仅与所涉及的科学和监管社区有关，而且对环境人文和科学研究学者也具有浓厚的兴趣。 这项研究设想了一些更广泛的影响，包括本科课程的丰富，指导学生与相关研究兴趣的机会，以及正在进行的工作与服务不足的社区，如在RIT的大型聋人/听力困难的学生群体。 该奖项反映了NSF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.