Prion
A prion is an infectious agent composed entirely of a misfolded protein that can induce other proteins to misfold, causing fatal brain diseases in animals and humans. Unlike traditional pathogens, prions lack nucleic acids, making them notoriously difficult to detect and destroy, and they've reshaped our understanding of infectious diseases in the modern era.
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Prions are so resilient that they can survive extreme conditions, including boiling in bleach or autoclaving at 134°C for 18 minutes—far beyond what kills most viruses and bacteria—making them a persistent challenge in labs and hospitals. This durability has led to real-world scares, like the ban on British beef exports in the 1990s due to mad cow disease.
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