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If we're made in Gods image, God's made of gag, pol, and env.

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Abbie Smith is a graduate student studying the molecular and biochemical evolution of HIV within patients and within populations. She also studies epigenetic control of ERVs.

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« Dale is a boys name. | Main | Women, Part 1 »

Finally, an HIV-1 article I can support

Category: HIV/AIDS
Posted on: August 6, 2008 1:15 PM, by ERV

I complain about crappy science journalism a lot. So I better give journalists and scientists a high-five when they do something right-- And Nikhil Swaminathan dun gud. Sure Im annoyed at him for calling HIV-1 a 'bug' (people know what a virus is), but he asked Anthony Fauci the *right* questions (and Dr. Fauci gave the *right* answers :P)

HIV Vaccine Research: "Swimming in the Dark"

Swaminathan wanted to know why we dont have an HIV-1 vaccine, despite scientists promising one year after year after year. He wanted to know why making an HIV-1 vaccine was so hard (seriously, why could they make a polio vaccine 60 years ago, and we cant do the same thing with todays technology??). Why are all these HIV-1 vaccine trials failing? Why are they being canceled before they even start??

Practical questions and practical answers. Not the usual grandiose crap you get with HIV-1 pop-journalism. Good job, you two!

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Comments

1

OK, so how can a virus be infected or "sick"? Don't they need to take over a cell to be able to do much of anything?

News story: "Viruses get sick"

Posted by: Physicalist | August 6, 2008 5:02 PM

2

My virus boyfriend is on that paper-- you bet your sweet bippy Ill write about it! hehe!!

But since 'science journalists' dont link to the articles they write about, this is the official paper: The virophage as a unique parasite of the giant mimivirus

Posted by: ERV | August 6, 2008 9:44 PM

3

AIDS science is cargo cult science at its worst. The reason these twits can't develop a vaccine is because HIV is a harmless retrovirus (like all retroviruses), and doesn't generate an antibody response.

It has taken 25 years and billions of dollars of research and they STILL can't see this. What a bunch of tools.

Fire them all, I say.

Posted by: Fleming | August 6, 2008 11:46 PM

4

Off-topic, just to say that Nikhil is an Indian male name, not female. :)

Posted by: Sunil | August 7, 2008 12:10 AM

5

Welcome back!

Got another article you've probably seen, but I'd love to here your opinion on this:

http://www.talkrational.org/showthread.php?t=4507

Fell free to leave a comment there, or if you feel it worthy of a full ERV post.... =)

Cheers.

Posted by: FastLane | August 7, 2008 7:31 AM

6

Yup, Sunil is right. I, Nikhil Swaminathan, am male. Oh, and a hat tip to my editor for referring to HIV as a "bug."

Thanks for the shout out, ERV!

nikhil

Posted by: Nikhil | August 7, 2008 10:47 AM

7

Dang! Fail!

Ill fix it :)

Posted by: ERV | August 7, 2008 10:51 AM

8

Perhaps you can comment on the lack of NiH and CDC researchers at the International AIDS Conference in Mexico City. I think your Senator Tom Coburn had something to do with this...

Posted by: michael fugate | August 8, 2008 4:27 PM

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