Scientists make themselves allergic to the things they study, but don't stop experimenting

Allergies are acquired when our immune systems become too sensitive to certain things over time. When a scientist might study the same animal or plant or parcel of land from grad school through retirement—coming into contact with it every day for decades—it's no surprise that the object they devote themselves to might also cause them some irritation.

            An estimated 15 to 20 percent of researchers who work with mice and rats, for instance, may eventually become allergic to the animals, said Dr. Karin A. Pacheco, an assistant professor of environmental and occupational health sciences at National Jewish Health in Denver. The real number could be even higher, because some people who become allergic may never report it, valuing their job above their health or comfort, Dr. Pacheco said.

An allergic reaction isn't enough to drive off some dedicated researchers, though. One microbiologist, whose use of formaldehyde caused blisters on his hands, just learned to work around the problem.

            He tried using rubber gloves, but that proved an incomplete solution. The chemical's fumes were partially responsible for the allergy. So Dr. Dehority installed a fume hood — a similar device to the fan system that sits above a stove.

That seemed to make the work bearable, though the allergy persisted through 40 years of research. "I made a career out of studying protozoa," he said. "It never occurred to me to switch." [New York Times]