NORMAL human cells have been dried out and revived eight days later using a
trick evolved by a bacterium that can survive for centuries without water. The
technique could have all sorts of medical uses.
Blood for transfusions could be stored for long periods, for example, or
carried to remote disasters without having to be kept cool. Antibodies and
vaccines would have an almost unlimited shelf life, making them easier to
distribute in developing countries.
Desiccated medical supplies could even be sent on long space missions. And it
should become possible to make cell-based biosensors to detect poisons such as…
