Prions are misfolded proteins that act as infectious agents, resistant because their abnormal conformation is extraordinarily stable. Autoclaving and formalin fail as they target nucleic acids or disrupt normal protein structures, not these resilient β-sheet aggregates. In my lab, we see similar stubborn misfolding in certain amyloids studied for Alzheimer's, a frustration I well know from trying to revive my wilted brinjal plants with mere water when the root rot itself was the true, persistent shape of the problem.
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