Playing God with Monsters

Howard writes "Horrified by "There Be Monsters Here" tales, some members of Congress called for a ban on DNA research in the mid '70s. Because those calls were rejected, millions of people around the world can now hope for DNA-based vaccines against AIDS, malaria and other deadly diseases that have destroyed lives, communities and nations. Here's an illustration: The name of Joseph DeRisi keeps coming up in connection with deadly diseases. No, he's not a modern-day Typhoid Mary. Just the opposite. The University of California, San Francisco researcher is using his own custom-built DNA microarrays to look inside the "minds" of some serious serial killers. The "minds" are genes, and his home-brewed gene chips helped solve the SARS mystery earlier this year. Now, DeRisi has chosen malaria as his next victim. For the complete commentary, please go to Howard Lovy's NanoBot."

Comments

Speaking as a representative for seial killers

[Ryvar]

Speaking as a representative for seial killers everywhere, I for one find the wording of this post offensive. No mere simple biological 'machine' could replicate the beauty and artistry of my vast bodies of work in the field of serial killing.

I for one hope Slashdot's editors issue an apology and a retraction.

Finally...

[Guano_Jim]

...the world will know the glory of the FIVE-ASSED MONKEY!

Or maybe not. Call your congresspeoples and demand your five-assed monkey.

Metaphor Cuisinart

[meeotch]

DeRisi found that the secret to malaria's success is its simplicity - regulated by only 10 genes compared with, say, 141 in yeast and more than a thousand in human cells. So, malaria is not the brightest bug in the biosphere, but it does its job with a single-mindedness, turning on each gene just before it's needed - like an assassin pumping his rifle.

I bet it would take a long time to snipe someone to death with an air rifle.

thwap!

OW - Quit it.

thwap!

OW - Quit it.

thwap!

Re:Well, that's nothing

[fucksl4shd0t]

Thanks to the power of modern genetics, we can provide something the world really needs. ...like a monkey with five asses!

Neil Young and Pearl Jam already gave us this, but I forget what the album's called.

Re:Well, that's nothing

[Ken Broadfoot]

"we can provide something the world really needs. ...like a monkey with five asses!"

We have...

Monkey: George Bush
Ass #1 -- Donald Rumsfeld
Ass #2 -- John Aschcroft
Ass #3 -- Tom Ridge
Ass #4 -- Dick Cheney
Ass #5 -- Colin Powell

There are actually a bunch more asses than this but here is five.

--ken

Re:Artificial Heart Valves?

[The_dev0]

Here's a word of advice then; NEVER send him anywhere via post.