Special Bacteria Helps Heal Sick Bats | National Geographic

just to give you an idea these were

just to give you an idea these were infected bats and their wings have

infected bats and their wings have

infected bats and their wings have completely healed and they’re basically

completely healed and they’re basically

completely healed and they’re basically clean and most of the stats from this

clean and most of the stats from this

clean and most of the stats from this group had quite a lot of infection in

group had quite a lot of infection in

group had quite a lot of infection in their wings one of the ideas we have is

their wings one of the ideas we have is

their wings one of the ideas we have is that it’s not about eradicating the

that it’s not about eradicating the

that it’s not about eradicating the fungus at this point that’s essentially

fungus at this point that’s essentially

fungus at this point that’s essentially impossible but what you can do is if you

impossible but what you can do is if you

impossible but what you can do is if you delay the severity of that disease from

delay the severity of that disease from

delay the severity of that disease from from peaking and say January to peaking

from peaking and say January to peaking

from peaking and say January to peaking in March a larger portion of that

in March a larger portion of that

in March a larger portion of that population is likely to be able to

population is likely to be able to

population is likely to be able to survive and recover on their own my role

survive and recover on their own my role

survive and recover on their own my role is in the development of the Rhodococcus

is in the development of the Rhodococcus

is in the development of the Rhodococcus bacteria as the treatment Rhodococcus

bacteria as the treatment Rhodococcus

bacteria as the treatment Rhodococcus was originally investigated at Georgia

was originally investigated at Georgia

was originally investigated at Georgia State University for a litany of

State University for a litany of

State University for a litany of different industrial applications and

different industrial applications and

different industrial applications and its ability to delay the ripening of

its ability to delay the ripening of

its ability to delay the ripening of fruits and vegetables that also the

fruits and vegetables that also the

fruits and vegetables that also the fruits and vegetables had lower fungal

fruits and vegetables had lower fungal

fruits and vegetables had lower fungal burdens and so I thought that if this

burdens and so I thought that if this

burdens and so I thought that if this bacteria can prevent mold from growing

bacteria can prevent mold from growing

bacteria can prevent mold from growing on a banana perhaps they can prevent

on a banana perhaps they can prevent

on a banana perhaps they can prevent mold from growing on a bat surface of

mold from growing on a bat surface of

mold from growing on a bat surface of their wings and gets under the epidermis

their wings and gets under the epidermis

their wings and gets under the epidermis it gets into the deeper layers of tissue

it gets into the deeper layers of tissue

it gets into the deeper layers of tissue and access to bats in their natural

and access to bats in their natural

and access to bats in their natural hibernacula isn’t always easy sometimes

hibernacula isn’t always easy sometimes

hibernacula isn’t always easy sometimes there are very large clusters that are

there are very large clusters that are

there are very large clusters that are way higher than you could access to

way higher than you could access to

way higher than you could access to treat with traditional treatments and

treat with traditional treatments and

treat with traditional treatments and they’re very sensitive animals and so

they’re very sensitive animals and so

they’re very sensitive animals and so they have been susceptible to toxicity

they have been susceptible to toxicity

they have been susceptible to toxicity from some of the things that have been

from some of the things that have been

from some of the things that have been previously tried so that’s one of the

previously tried so that’s one of the

previously tried so that’s one of the good sides of this product is that you

good sides of this product is that you

good sides of this product is that you don’t actually have to handle them

my hopes are that we can stay off the

my hopes are that we can stay off the regional extinction that’s been

regional extinction that’s been

regional extinction that’s been predicted in that twenty thirty years

predicted in that twenty thirty years

predicted in that twenty thirty years from now there will still be bats in the

from now there will still be bats in the

from now there will still be bats in the sky Missouri in Georgia in Pennsylvania

sky Missouri in Georgia in Pennsylvania

sky Missouri in Georgia in Pennsylvania catching insects under lampposts