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The Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) is one of the most aggressive invasive species globally, and it has spread widely in Asia and Europe. Its unique morphological and physiological characteristics enable it to survive in high-temperature and hypersaline environments. The invasion of the Chinese mitten crab can damage the local aquatic ecology, including flora and fauna, necessitating the implementation of monitoring and control measures. Consuming the invasive crab is a potential strategy to prevent its further spread worldwide. This chapter documents the success of transforming this invasive species into a valuable food source in China. Notably, there is a significant demand for Chinese mitten crabs in China, with potential markets in several other Asian countries. However, natural Chinese mitten crabs often grow in polluted water, accumulating undesirable substances (e.g., pathogens and heavy metals). These substances could pose significant health hazards when consumed by humans. Therefore, adhering to proper cultivation techniques is essential to ensuring the safety of the crabs for human consumption.

Evidence is mounting to suggest a causal role of cellular or humoral mediated immune response arising from anti-myelin of peripheral nerve antibodies, for example anti-ganglioside antibodies, in a variety of neurological disorders. These disorders include the acute inflammatory autoimmune demyelinating and axonal forms of Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS), Miller Fisher syndrome (MFS), and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). The origin of the auto-antibodies is discussed in light of the recent circumstantial evidence pointing to a molecular mimicry mechanism with infectious agents in GBS and MFS, but not in CIDP. Recent studies on the roles of anti-ganglioside and non-ganglioside in the pathogenesis of GBS, MFS and CIDP are summarized in this review. With a better understanding of the immunopathogenic mechanisms of these diseases, it will then be possible to devise rational and effective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for the treatment of these neurological disorders.

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) produces several small, highly homologous, disulfide-rich proteins (Sp-AMPs) in response to fungal pathogenic attacks. We report here the expression, structure and function of these proteins. One of the Sp-AMPs was cloned into and over-expressed in Pichia pastoris. The purified protein shows antifungal activity against Heterobasidion annosum, causing morphological changes in spores and hyphae. Binding studies revealed that it binds to soluble and insoluble β-(1,3)-glucans, major components of the fungal cell wall, with high affinity. Homology modeling studies suggest a Greek-key-β-barrel fold having a conserved patch on the surface that can accommodate at least 4 sugar units. We conclude that these proteins represent a new class of antimicrobial proteins that can be classified as pathogenesis related (PR) protein family 18.