Environmental Health Center
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February 16, 2000
Did you ever dream of finding buried treasure when you were a kid? How about treasure in caves deep in the earth? Let's hunt for nature's cancer-fighting treasures on today's EnvironMinute. [:11]
To medical researchers, the environment is like a treasure chest. Lots of animals and plants contain chemicals that may help save human lives. In an underground cave near Carlsbad, New Mexico, researchers Larry Mallory and Jim Bigelow found some bacteria that could be next on the list of treasures. These bacteria have evolved chemical toxins to kill their competitors in the underground cave. Preliminary tests show that these chemical toxins may also be strong enough to fight human cancer cells! If further tests "pan out," those bacteria may become the next priceless treasure in the world's environmental treasure trove. [:36]
The EnvironMinute is produced in cooperation with the National Safety Council and made possible by the Teresa and H. John Heinz III Foundation. [:10]
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