Three-Dimensional Structure of HIV Revealed

Mutatis Mutandis writes "The BBC is reporting that a team of scientists from Oxford, Heidelberg and Munich has created the first accurate three-dimensional images of the HIV virus. The virus was found to have an average diameter of 125 nanometers, well below the wavelength of visible light. In the past the structure of viruses with a regular structure has been produced by 3D reconstruction techniques that work on a set of electron microscopy images of different viruses, but the irregular structure of HIV does not allow this. Scientists have now used a tomography technique that employs a series of images taken from a single virus, somewhat similar to the better known X-Ray CAT scan, but on a quite different scale." Structure also has a video of the 3-d rendering available for download. Relatedly an anonymous reader writes "A research team at Brown University has genetically modified bacteria found in yogurt so that the bugs produce a protein proven to block HIV infection in monkeys. The results offer hope for a microbicide that can prevent the spread of HIV, which now affects about 40 million people."

Comments

Re:Cool

[JD Stokes]

JD Stokes does not merely buy plushies, JD Stokes is a PLUSHIE BUSINESSMAN.

Very Informative - MOD parent up

[Macka]

I never seem to have my mod points when I want them most.

Damn Brown's: The HIV code.

[Proto23]

Several pre-release copies of the new book by renowned writer Damn Brown are already uploaded to several hidden peer to peer networks. The publisher together with the RIAA (here's another film in the making) is actively suppressing distribution and persecuting anyone touching the Damn file. Hence we can only provide you with a synopsis. I hope you understand. From: http://www.hypnocrisis.com/index.php?/archives/17- Damn-Browns-The-HIV-code..html

Re:Monkeys??

[cnettel]

Aren't most ID proponents (like even many old-fashin creationists) keen on the idea that some evolution is possible, microevolution or maybe even some new species, but that certain changes are too big "leaps" (the human eye being a popular example)?

That's of course BS, but the interesting part for someone really believing in ID would of course be -- wouldn't the jump between easily infecting birds and easily infecting humans be such a leap? One way is of course to say "no, it's not a leap", but any other explanation, like intermixing with an existing human virus, would naturally also burst their little bubble on that ID would be needed to explain the variety of life at all.