![]() Hopefully, the wait will not be a long one. Newman says, “Although we’ve identified this highly unusual protein as only existing in monotremes, this discovery increases our knowledge of protein structures in general, and will go on to inform other drug discovery work done at the Centre.”įor now, we will have to wait and see how this new protein might be unleashed in the war against antibiotic resistance. Shirley Temple may open the door to other fields of study, too Dr. This, perhaps, is the reason that platypus milk needs to be so profoundly antibacterial. Of course, this opens the young animals up to an unholy array of bacteria and other nasties. But as I was saying, since there are no teets, the mother’s milk comes into contact with the outside world, and the baby platypus must lick the milk from the surrounding hair. I’ll stick with baby platypuses for the sake of maintaining some degree of scientific integrity. So, without nipples, the mother platypus secretes milk from a patch of skin.Īs an aside, baby platypuses - rather boringly - are officially called “baby platypuses.” However, there are more pleasing, if unofficial, names, including puggles and platypups, so feel free to use whichever you deem cutest. Unlike the vast majority of mammals, the platypus has no nipples (which is yet another reason why platypuses are considered one of planet Earth’s oddest residents). “Platypus are such weird animals that it would make sense for them to have weird biochemistry.” The intriguing format of the protein has not been seen in nature before. The protein has a ringlet-like formation, thus earning it the nickname Shirley Temple. ![]() The magical, bacteria-slaughtering capabilities of the milk protein might come from its unique 3-D folding. Achieving this feat took the combined might of the Synchrotron, a cyclic particle accelerator, and the CSIRO’s ultra-hi-tech Collaborative Crystallisation Centre. Recreating a protein in the laboratory sounds, at first reading, to be a relatively simple job - but it’s not. Julie Sharp, from Deakin University, states, “We were interested to examine the protein’s structure and characteristics to find out exactly what part of the protein was doing what.” In the laboratory, the scientists replicated the platypus milk protein responsible for its antibacterial powers and gave it a long, hard inspection. Their results were recently published in the journal Structural Biology Communications. They wanted to examine the almighty prowess of platypus milk and attempt to understand why it’s so potent. Recently, a team of researchers from Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Oganization (CSIRO) combined forces with Deakin University in Victoria, also in Australia. ![]() The authors report that proteins in their milk “were effective in killing a broad range of bacterial pathogens.” So, how on earth could such a natural oddity help to save the human race from the horrors of antibiotic resistance? Well, the answer might lie in its milk.Īccording to an earlier study, platypus milk contains unique antibacterial properties. O.K., I think I’ve adequately emphasized just how unusual the platypus is. Also, baby platypuses are born with teeth, but, at an early age, they all fall out, leaving a horny plate. The strangeness doesn’t stop there, however the female has two ovaries - no surprise - but only the left one actually works. She has a duck-like bill and a beaver-like tail, and she is one of the very few venomous mammals. She’s hairy and warm-blooded, similar to standard mammals, yet she lays eggs. The former is one of the most iconic and baffling animals on the planet. Platypuses are monotremes - that is, a subgroup of mammals that comprises just five species (the platypus and four species of the hedgehog-like echidna). The platypus needs no introduction, but I’ll give you one anyway because they’re just so pleasing to consider.
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