Thomas Platts-Mills

“lost the ability about 10 million years ago,”

Thomas Platts-Mills · said date not stated · reported 2026-09-19

Platts-Mills explains that humans lost the ability to produce the alpha-gal sugar molecule about 10 million years ago.

“I woke up at 2:30 in the morning. By 3:00, I was covered in hives.”

Thomas Platts-Mills · said date not stated · reported 2026-09-19

Platts-Mills describes waking up covered in hives after a dinner of lamb chops during a 2007 trip to London.

“Everything non-primate is your enemy,”

Thomas Platts-Mills · said date not stated · reported 2026-09-19

Platts-Mills describes how the immune system may treat alpha-gal from non-primate sources as a threat after tick exposure.