As Healthy as a Clam

In its muddy marine habitat, the Asiatic hard clam appears to be making its own antibiotic to protect itself from infection—and it’s the first known animal to do so. Because invertebrates like clams don’t have complex immune systems, they often avoid associating with microbes. According to researchers, the Asiatic hard clams’ antibiotic production is its way to fend off microbial interactions.

Despite their microbial-rich habitats, some clams live for centuries because their Designer equipped them with a variety of defenses, including the potential to create their own antibiotic.

This article is from Answers magazine, April–June, 2023, p. 18.