For The First Time, Scientists Have Observed Mucus's Secret Ability to Subdue Germs

[Judi Lynn]

BEN GUARINO, THE WASHINGTON POST
15 OCT 2019

We are all full of mucus, and not only because cold season is upon us. Our bodies produce a fresh liter of slime each day to coat our passages and tracts. Mucus may be gross, but its grossness disguises how helpful it is.

A study published Monday in Nature Microbiology demonstrates one of mucus's unexpected beneficial properties: Mucus contains sugars that keep potentially harmful germs in check.

Biophysicist Katharina Ribbeck at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has spent more than a decade exploring the biochemistry that happens within mucus.

"Mucus piqued my interest because it is just this vastly understudied material that occupies a large surface area in our body," Ribbeck said. The gel lubricates the esophagus, lines the stomach, helps sperm move past the cervix and guards nasal tissues.

More:
https://www.sciencealert.com/we-now-know-how-icky-mucus-performs-the-extremely-helpful-function-of-subduing-germs