<i>C. elegans</i> (IMAGE) University of Maryland Caption Studying the bloodless worm, C. elegans (pictured here), University of Maryland researchers have discovered a protein involved in the process by which humans, and other organisms safely move iron around in the body. The findings, published in the journal Cell, could lead to new methods for treating age-old scourges - parasitic worm infections, which affect more than a quarter of the world's population, and iron deficiency, the world's number one nutritional disorder. In this image, the C. elegans worm is expressing a green fluorescent protein and a fluorescent heme molecule (red) in the intestine. Credit Credit: Jason Sinclair and Iqbal Hamza, University of Maryland Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.