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This is scientific American’s 60-Second Science, I am Karen Hopkin, this will just take a minute.

Time for another episode of those amazing alligators². On March 14th, we told you how gators use their lungs to steer³ through the water. Now, Louisiana biochemists say that alligator¹ blood may hold the key to fighting infections in people. They presented their findings at the American Chemical Society meeting in New Orleans. Alligators, it seems, have unusually robust⁴ immune systems. They’re able to swiftly eliminate invading viruses, bacteria and other microbial nasties. So the scientists collected some alligator blood, something you should not try at home. Unless you live in Florida, actually, no, still don’t try at home. The researchers then extracted a slew⁵ of proteins from some disease-busting white blood cells. And they found that, in a culture dish, just a pinch of gator protein could destroy a wide variety of bugs⁶, including the dreaded⁷ methicillin-resistant Staph aureus or MRSA.The scientists are now trying to figure out which proteins in the gater extract are the most potent⁸. They’ll then use those proteins to try to develop a new line of human-disease-fighting alligator antibiotics⁹.Beats alligator shoes, which  ain’t  gonna stomp¹⁰ out your MRSA.

Thanks for the minute for Scientific American’s 60-Second Science. I am Karen Hopkin.