<Hi asked Mark this question due to concerns about the use of blood meal and bone meal in organic agriculture. (None Farmers: Bone meal is commonly used as an amendment when planting bulb crops (like tulips)) -Allan>
Hi Allan, No, I believe that the prion can only be transmitted in the laboratory contexts, Thus, blood and bone meal should be fine to use for organic gardeners/ farmers, regardless of its prion content, etc Transmission of TSE has only ever been effected following injection of massive doses of homogenised prion contaminated brain tissue into misfortunate lab animals - as they have done in Lab experiments in the Uk. But even then , the disease will only transmit into animals who are genetically susceptible in terms of their prion protein genotype. Basically, it needs to be recognised that prions form in the brain of the living organism aas a result of 'in vivo' modification of the native prion protein by invasion of eco-oxidizing agents and manganese into a brain that is depleted of copper. Then a prion will form. The resulting 'prion' has only ever been shown to be infectious following laboratory transmission experiments using the injection route. I believe that the infectious agent in TSEs is the manganese 3+ atom - that is why the TSE agent can resist radiation, heat, chemicals, etc ; everything which viruses/bacteria cannot resist. No microorganism is involved. It is a myth. Best , Mark
