Stacey Smith
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.
sa smith
Posts by this author
August 24, 2010
Yesterdays post got me so annoyed and flabbergasted-- I needed to read a nice MLV paper to cheer me up. And nothing cheers me up like using gene therapy on kids with genetic diseases, allowing them to live pretty much normal lives:Efficacy of gene therapy for X-linked severe combined…
August 23, 2010
So, a while back, there was HUUUUUGE DRAMA. BIG HUBUB. Because a study that CONFIRMED the initial findings regarding XMRV and CFS was being HELD UP by TEH GOVERNMENT! Conspiracy, conspiracy, yada yada yada.
Apparently, this was that paper:Detection of MLV-related virus gene sequences in blood of…
August 22, 2010
I dunno whether this guy is a troll or not, but he asked a question I would love to answer, as it is very, very relevant to things Ive written on this blog before:Finally, if your children have been vaccinated against xyz disease, why would you care if others are NOT vaccinated, surely your…
August 21, 2010
Montys project was officially funded, so he is spending today on Ustream, thanking his supporters with videos and songs and getting a chocolate cake smashed in his face at 7 pm Central:
Online TV Shows by Ustream
Thank you all so much for spreading the word and donating, guys!
EDIT 4.55 pm-- One…
August 18, 2010
We only have until midnight Saturday-- August 21st-- to get another $1,860 for an amazing project.
Songs From the Science Frontier
A different way to get kids excited about science. A way YOU can help reach kids everywhere, from East LA to rural Georgia-- anywhere kids might not be getting the…
August 18, 2010
Hey, remember back in 2008, when I wrote a post on a neat idea in herpes vaccine design?
That paper was all ideas. Well, they just published a paper where they test some of the science of those ideas:Herpes Simplex Virus 2 ICP0â Mutant Viruses Are Avirulent and Immunogenic: Implications for a…
August 17, 2010
Part I: HPV
Part II: Measles
Anti-vaxers are absolutely disgusting.
I couldnt possibly care less what other people choose to do with their own bodies. I dont care if guys want to use steroids for cosmetic purposes, any more than I care if a female wants to get a boob-job (or vice versa). I dont…
August 16, 2010
Thanks to BleachGate, this is probably the first time many of you all in the Skeptical Community have heard about Crohns Disease (SPOILER: kid with Chrons gets booted from a 'support' forum for speaking out against woo-'treatments').
Crohns is an inflammatory bowl disease (IBD), where your guts do…
August 12, 2010
Lack of Detection of XMRV in Seminal Plasma from HIV-1 Infected Men in The Netherlands
These folks looked in the semen of HIV-1(+) men for XMRV-- because of XMRVs association with prostate cancer, and retroviruses as STDs, and because HIV+ people are more susceptible to infections than HIV- people…
August 12, 2010
We are fat.
We are really, really fat.
While some people are overweight/obese for very real medical conditions (thyroid issues, side-effects of medications, etc), the fact of the matter is, most of us just eat/drink too much crap and we live sedentary lifestyles.
That doesnt mean that we actually…
August 11, 2010
Paleovirology is one of my favorite topics to read about. Whether its bringing extinct viruses back to life, or finding ancient HIV-1 integration sites, or finding millions of year old viruses in genomes, or studying the modern side-effects of ancient viral infections, I love old viruses just…
August 10, 2010
The worst part of visiting my parents is driving home.
Yes, I will miss Moms cooking/baking. Yes, I will miss having real food (weird how the totally not organic food we get from local farmers is still good). Yes, Focus on the Family and AFA make a long drive longer (today they passive-…
August 5, 2010
I normally dread my drives home to visit my parents.
I mean, its pretty-- through OK and KS... but there is absolutely nothing on the radio but those crazy Christian talk shows. I can listen to them a while, for limited lulz, but eventually I get so sick of the Creationists and women talking about…
August 3, 2010
FINALLY!
A free paper that explains the basics of viral quasispecies!!! YAAAAAY!!!Quasispecies Theory and the Behavior of RNA Viruses
ARG! I have been wanting a paper like this to come out for AGES! I dont back down from explaining complex topics to you guys, but 'quasispecies' is just so weird…
August 2, 2010
Yes, we are very socially aware at ScienceBlogs.
But I just did something very, very stupid, and I feel terrible about it, so Im going to confess on the internet so hopefully other people dont make this same mistake.
Remember Giant Schnauzer?
About a week ago, Giant Schnauzer and his owner moved…
August 2, 2010
Beet black scorch virus.
Family: Tombusviridae
Genus: Necrovirus
I know you all are thinking what Im thinking. LETS MAKE A VACCINE OUTTA THAT! YAY!!!!
A ton of plant vaccine papers have been rolling out on PubMed since I first wrote about them a few months ago. I couldnt resist writing about…
August 1, 2010
Geron press release:"We are pleased with the FDA's decision to allow our planned clinical trial of GRNOPC1 in spinal cord injury to proceed," said Thomas B. Okarma, Ph.D., M.D., Geron's president and CEO. "Our goals for the application of GRNOPC1 in subacute spinal cord injury are unchanged - to…
July 31, 2010
If you are sick of reading us SciBlings bitch about PepsiBlog, and want something else to read on a scorching hot Saturday-- Blag Hag is holding a blogathon today to help raise funds for the Secular Student Alliance!
New post every 30 minutes!
Also... **COUGH-COUGH**
July 31, 2010
I think its pretty obvious to even the most casual observer of this blog, I am not a professional writer. I am a scientist-in-training who is madly in love with viruses, and wants the general public to understand how cool viruses are too, so I write this blag.
While I have been coaxed into writing…
July 29, 2010
Ummmmmmm...
Hmmm...
Filoviruses are ancient and integrated into mammalian genomes
Hmmmmmm...
Unexpected Inheritance: Multiple Integrations of Ancient Bornavirus and Ebolavirus/Marburgvirus Sequences in Vertebrate Genomes--
This first comprehensive study of its kind demonstrates that the sources of…
July 28, 2010
While poop jokes are all in good fun here in the US (and in other developed parts of the world), diarrhea really isnt all that funny for most of the planet. Dehydration due to diarrhea is the second leading cause of death for babies, worldwide (it was #1 until we started aggressive education/re-…
July 26, 2010
Human beta globin has held a special place in my heart due to its rather prominent role in the Evolution-Creation 'debate'. It just got a neat evolutionary upgrade :)
Humans have one kind of hemoglobin when they are infants which has a higher affinity for O2 (alpha globin + gamma globin), because…
July 24, 2010
Lets say you are a super hero. You are in cognito at this huge fancy party the Mayor is throwing, and you get word that one of the party guests is really a mad scientist/evil genius whos about to do something really mad/evil. You can stop them, but the mad scientist/evil genius is in cognito too…
July 23, 2010
WARBLEGARBLETHISISSOCOOLYALL!
Where to start?
You all are aware of the fact we have 'science education issues' here in Oklahoma? Well not everyone here is sitting on their hands, shaking their heads, bemoaning what a shame it is. A fellow who lives in Stillwater, Monty Harper, is actually trying…
July 21, 2010
Im sure you all remember the guy I wrote about a while back, who had HIV-1 and leukemia. While that is actually pretty common, what wasnt common was his treatment-- a bone marrow transplant from a match who happened to lack the CCR5 gene, thus lacked one of the co-receptors HIV-1 needs to infect…
July 20, 2010
My mom and her friends have been having a fun time with recent Oklahoma weather-- We had constant ice storms that crippled the city this winter. Spring gave us loads of tornadoes and of course, the sideways baseball-sized hail. This summer has been 'filled' with flooding...
Mom & Co. giggle…
July 19, 2010
Sometimes I am the worlds worst advocate for my own research.
Yes, its fantastically cool.
Yes, we learn more about the world and how life evolves on it.
But THE REASON I do HIV-1 research is to help ultimately create an HIV-1 vaccine. The only way we are going to beat HIV-1 is to stop new…
July 15, 2010
I was so scared this was gonna happen while I was at the dentist this morning, but some time this afternoon/evening, New ERV (not including Old ERV) is gonna get its one millionth visitor!
YAY!
Normally I would demand sacrifices and lulz for a big celebration, but I got Lortab, so... Im going to go…
July 14, 2010
A few weeks ago, Slate ran this pointed article about the FDAs refusal to allow homosexual men to donate blood. Quick summary: Yes, homosexual men are 'at risk' for HIV-1 infection. But the majority of HIV-1+ homosexual men are aware of their status, thanks to increased HIV-1 awareness in their…
July 13, 2010
I had a terrible nightmare last night.
Starcraft II came out, and I was playing it opening day with lots of other people... and like, I totally forgot how to play Starcraft. All my soldiers were dying. My rocket launchers were getting blown up. And for some reason I had a ton of money and no…