I'm a graduate student studying the molecular and biochemical evolution of HIV within patients and within populations. I also study epigenetic control of ERVs.
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!
Medicine & Health
Comments
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?
Posted by: Physicalist | August 6, 2008 5:02 PM
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
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
Off-topic, just to say that Nikhil is an Indian male name, not female. :)
Posted by: Sunil | August 7, 2008 12:10 AM
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
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
Dang! Fail!
Ill fix it :)
Posted by: ERV | August 7, 2008 10:51 AM
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