Next in the "Can Plasma?" series: can plasma kill prions? The honest answer is yes at high doses — and at low doses, the result scared me off the topic.

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 The question: do you know how to kill prion disease?

00:13 Quick intro — Greg Friedman, plasma bioengineer

00:27 The question in full: "Dear Gregory…"

00:36 What prions actually are — misfolded, self-replicating proteins

00:46 Why prions meet my definition of "alive"

01:20 What happens to an infected human or animal (spongiform degeneration)

01:53 The problem: prions are absurdly tough

02:05 Why proteins are harder to kill than bacteria

02:12 What prions survive: autoclaves, UV, bleach, hydrogen peroxide

02:31 Our research collaboration with a New York researcher and her mouse model

03:09 What we found