Michel Brahic

Michel Brahic is a scientist and author who specialises in the emerging and often unsettling field of prion science. His work explores one of the most mysterious and important frontiers in biology and medicine — the role of misfolded proteins in disease and their implications for human health. The Power of Prions examines these extraordinary infectious agents, which cause devastating neurodegenerative diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and mad cow disease. Brahic explains the science behind prions with clarity and rigour, making a complex and often frightening subject accessible to a general audience while conveying the significance of ongoing research. The book explores how prions challenge fundamental assumptions in biology — they are infectious agents without DNA or RNA, spreading disease through the misfolding of proteins. Brahic traces the history of prion science, the researchers who uncovered their secrets, and the implications for our understanding of disease. The Power of Prions is available as an audiobook alongside the print edition, giving listeners an accessible and thought-provoking way to explore one of modern science's most fascinating puzzles. Brahic continues to contribute to public understanding of cutting-edge biological research.