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'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.'"

4 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. 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.

  4. 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