We'll talk more about yeast and prions. Prions have baffled scientists because they spread without transmitting genetic information. In fact, they don't seem to have any genetic information. Instead, prions are regular proteins that are folded in an irregular way. She's investigating how yeast seem to use prions to help them adapt to changes in the environment.
Prions exist in yeast, without harming it.
But that's just the beginning, according to Lindquist. And we're beginning to learn how to control that folding process. We're Block and Byrd for Earth and Sky.