Editor's Note: This piece was originally published online in the UNM BioBlog on Jan. 22, 2018, written by Erin Watson. This is part of our project to help connect the Daily Lobo audience to more members of our community.
Hundreds of millions of people suffer from snail borne parasitic diseases. Some of these parasites, like the schistosome worms that live in blood vessels, are considered world health concerns. Yet, little is known on how snails respond to their own immunological challenges. Understanding how snails respond to the parasites they carry give us insight into how to fight them. In a recent UNM BioBlog, Erin Watson discusses why you should care about the snails (and the parasites they carry) in your garden.
Erin Watson-Chappell is a Ph.D. student in the UNM Biology Department where she studies the immune systems of snails. You can contact her at ewatso01@unm.edu.
