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Scientists Create Deadlier TB Strain By Accident

Posted by timothy on from the oops-did-it-again dept.

Makarand writes "BBC News is reporting that Scientists at the University of California (Berkeley, U.S.) accidentally created a hyper-virulent form of the Tuberculosis bacterium while trying to alter its genetic structure to make it less deadly. The mutant form of the super-bug could multiply more quickly and also had the unexpected effect of undermining the body's own immune response against Tuberculosis."

5 of 46 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Things that make you go by squiggleslash · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's all down to marketing at the end of the day. Who's going to buy a vial of TB marked "Slightly worse than normal TB"? Nobody. You need to make your product stand out.

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    You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
  2. One of very few hyper-virulent organisms ever crea by leoaugust · · Score: 4, Funny

    A virulent form of tuberculosis was created in the laboratory by experts trying to alter its genetic structure. The mutant form of the bug multiplied more quickly, and was more lethal than its natural counterpart. "This is one of the very few hyper-virulent organisms ever created," said scientist Dr Lisa Morici.

    I could just picture the glee with which Dr. Lisa Morici must have said that. It reminds me of the smile on the son's face when his dad came to visit him in his lab.

    From

    The father was very proud when his son went off to college. He came to tour the school on Parents' Day and observed his son hard at work in the chemistry lab.

    "What are you working on?" he asked.

    "A universal solvent," explained the son, " a solvent that'll dissolve anything."

    The father whistled, clearly impressed, then wondered aloud, "What'll you keep it in?"

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    To see a world in a grain of sand, and then to step back and see the beach where the sand lies ...
  3. Re:Underlines the problems with genetic manipulati by jamesh · · Score: 5, Funny

    That would be okay though. Industry would step in with a resistant strain of rice which they'd be happy to sell. Unfortunately it's seeds, while tasty, would be sterile, so you'd need to buy from them each time you wanted to plant a crop.

  4. The question is: misspelt by jamesh · · Score: 4, Funny

    They will pile it up with their other virii. They now have enough virii to wipe out at least the following creatureii:
    . humanii
    . sheepii
    . cowii
    . catii
    . pigii
    . giraffii
    . dogii

  5. Top ten list (abbreviated) by Alsee · · Score: 4, Funny

    .
    .
    .
    5) NASA telemetry station, tracking YetAnotherMarsProbe.
    4) Your barber, giving you a hair cut.
    3) Your daughter, checking a pregnancy test.
    2) A munitions expert, loading nuclear weapons for transport.
    1) A genetic engineer, experimenting on human pathogens.

    Top 10 people you don't want to hear say "Oops".

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    - - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.