A Microbial Miracle!

In 1263, a priest performing mass at Bolsena broke the bread, which immediately started bleeding, which as far as religious symbolism goes, is a bit on the nose. But this was such a mind-blowing thing to see that it was immediately labelled a miracle, and the event became famous enough that Rafael painted a fresco in the Vatican depicting the scene. The blood was, however, probably not miraculous, but microbial. Serratia marcenscens produces a red compound called Prodigiosin. And it is rather common. This bacterium grows on bread, but also on damp statues, causing them to look like they are crying tears of blood. But knowing the cause of the mysterious bleeding doesn’t mean the so-called blood isn’t miraculous in it’s own way; Today, researchers are studying Prodigiosin for its anticancerous properties.