Can a protein be contagious? Jason Bartz discusses his work on prion proteins, which cause spongiform encephalopathy and can be transmitted by ingestion or inhalation among some animals. He further discusses how prions can exist as different strains, and what techniques may help improve diagnosis of subclinical infections. Links for this Episode: Jason Bartz Creighton University website Holec SAM, Yuan Q, and Bartz JC. Alteration of Prion Strain Emergence by Nonhost Factors. mSphere. 2019. Yuan Q et al. Dehydration of Prions on Environmentally Relevant Surfaces Protects Them from Inactivation by Freezing and Thawing. Journal of Virology. 2018. Bartz JC. Prion Strain Diversity. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine. 2016.  Bartz JC. From Slow Viruses to Prions PLoS Pathogens. 2016. Deleault NR, Harris BT, Rees JR, Supattapone S. Formation of native prions from minimal components in vitro. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2007. Planet Money Episode 952: Sperm Banks