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Scientists Image an HIV Particle Being Born

Posted by kdawson on from the begotten-in-dire-woe dept.

FiReaNGeL alerts us to a huge development in virology and microscopy: by using a specialized microscope that only illuminates a cell's surface, scientists at Rockefeller University have watched, in real time, hundreds of thousands of molecules coming together in a living cell to form a single particle of HIV-1. A video is available on Rockefeller's front page. "By zeroing in at the cell's surface, the team became the first to document the time it takes for each HIV particle, or virion, to assemble: five to six minutes. 'At first, we had no idea whether it would take milliseconds or hours,' says Jouvenet. 'We just didn't know.' 'This is the first time anyone has seen a virus particle being born,' says Bieniasz, who is an associate professor and head of the Laboratory of Retrovirology at Rockefeller and a scientist at the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center. 'Not just HIV,' he clarifies, 'any virus.'"

5 of 129 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Only one problem by tylernt · · Score: 1, Troll

    No, his failure to address the AIDS crisis didn't give people the information that they needed to know that they were at risk. AIDS exploded because there was no campaign in effect that told people how they could protect themselves.
    Yeah, because people are far too stupid to realize that they can get diseases from having unprotected sex or sharing needles. Never would have figured that out on my own.
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    DRM 'manages access' in the same way that a prison 'manages freedom'
  2. Re:Only one problem by beckerist · · Score: 1, Troll

    Evolution at work. Wear a condom.

  3. Re:They already have a cure. by tsm_sf · · Score: 0, Troll

    If you assume that all doctors keep abreast of developments in their fields there really is no need for advertising. I'm sure you've seen all of the "ask your doctor if xyz is right for you" ads. Shouldn't they already know what's available?

    ((as an aside, I always pick a young doctor as my primary care physician simply because they will generally be more up to date. I also generally choose female doctors because I know that they still have to work harder than their male counterparts to gain the same level of respect))

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    Literalism isn't a form of humor, it's you being irritating.
  4. Re:They already have a cure. by tsm_sf · · Score: 0, Troll

    +1 Obligatory

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    Literalism isn't a form of humor, it's you being irritating.
  5. Where's the Video? by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 0, Troll

    They say they photographed it in action. Where's the video?

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    make install -not war