All those who thought the Gowanus Canal would kill them if they fell in are still right, but the nasty water may also hold the key to new wonder drugs. At least, that's what a couple of New York City Tech professors think. They've been been studying the mysterious organisms that call the Gowanus home for a few years and believe that anything that can survive in the canal may also hold the building blocks for drugs that could save humanity. Or, at least, fight heart disease, Alzheimer's or HIV. Divers have been going under to get samples of white gunk and the professors have been studying the results and conclude that "Despite the canal’s toxicity, which includes cancer-causing chemical agents" stuff that's in the canal "may provide clues that lead to the development of new drugs to combat human disease.” And, all this time, we thought the only thing the Gowanus would lead to are the clap and Toll Brothers condos.
· Polluted Gowanus Canal May Be Source of New Antibiotics [Newswise]
· Holy Crap: “Gowanus Canal May Be Source of New Antibiotics” [GL]
· Microbes in filthy Gowanus Canal may hold breakthrough [NYDN]
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