Slashdot Mirror


'Safe Ebola' Created for Research

Nephrite writes "By removing a gene from the virus Ebola, UW-Madison scientists have managed to stop the deadly pathogen from replicating. This first step may be a start down the path to a vaccine or drug screening. 'The scientists still want the virus to replicate in order to study it, so they developed monkey kidney cells which contained the protein needed. Because the cell was providing the protein, and not the virus itself, it could only replicate within those cells, and even if transferred into a human, would be harmless.'"

9 of 198 comments (clear)

  1. No way to RTFA by Laughing+Pigeon · · Score: 5, Funny

    Grisoft Antivirus has detected a dangerous virus and has blocked access to TFA.

  2. Re:load of monkey kidney's by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Do not worry, George W. Bush has announced a plan to invade Wisconsin claiming that they are developing weapons of mass destruction and biological weapons against his kidney.

    The university tried to open a line of communication with the president to reason with him but was met with difficulty when he retired to the war room to pout and 'play with his toys.'

  3. Genetics.... by freedom_india · · Score: 1, Funny

    How much do we know about virii to safely declare legally that this ebola virus would not leap from monkeys to humans.
    Don't the scientists know that the original virus leapt from monkeys to humans just like HIV.
    Hell we can't even classify virus as a living or non-living thing.

    And now our irrational scientists like John Hammond think they can tinker...

    Although on one hand i support them, ebola is tooo dangerous to escape from the funny farm. if it had been smallpox or something it would be understandable.

    This is precisely why Bush hates funding genetic engineering as a whole...

    --
    "Doing what i can, with what i have." ~ Burt Gummer
  4. Re:From TFA by Laughing+Pigeon · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...air pressure in the room is less than the pressure outside, so any leak would mean air flowing inwards rather than outwards. ...

    OK, I'm not an expert in biosecurity, but wouldn't the reduced air pressure in the room be accomplished by pumping air out of the room?

    Off course the experts have thought of that and put the exhaust of the pumps right next to the leaks so the air will get sucked in again immediately.

  5. Re:Before you panic by monoqlith · · Score: 5, Funny

    You would be right, and +1 Informative, if only from TFA:

    ""We wanted to make biologically contained Ebola virus so that we can drink it," said Yoshihiro Kawaoka.

    And if you're going to point out that I simply added the part in bold myself, then I can onlly say in my defense that it is probably what Yoshihiro Kawoaka is thinking anyway.

  6. Aim for the head by HangingChad · · Score: 4, Funny

    The scientists still want the virus to replicate in order to study it, so they developed monkey kidney cells which contained the protein needed.

    Hey, isn't that how the Rage virus got started? Pretty soon those monkeys will develop a taste for human brains, the military will see this as a promising new bio-weapon and, 28 days later, Milla Jovovich is naked on your shower floor washing away the zombie blood...again.

    Do these people NEVER learn?

    --
    That's our life, the big wheel of shit. - The Fat Man, Blue Tango Salvage
  7. Re:cancer and vaccines by benthurston27 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Unfortunately curing cancer in this way causes people to become zombies (see I am Legend)

  8. Re:Before you panic by Somegeek · · Score: 2, Funny

    Drink Ebola Cola! It's Horrifically Delicious! Viral marketing campaign coming soon...

    --
    And as you tread the halls of sanity, You feel so glad to be, Unable to go beyond. I have a message, From another time..
  9. Re:Before you panic by stonedcat · · Score: 1, Funny

    Sorry, I'm too busy keeping grandpa tied up in the kitchen and feeding him what's left of grandma.
    Fucker keeps trying to bite me and the neighbors haven't mowed their lawn in nearly a month.

    What was the question again?

    --
    You can't take the sky from me.