It's Easy to Make Messenger RNA Vaccines
- Order some Messenger RNA on the internet. Be sure to get the SARS-CoVid-2 spike protein kind.
- Roll it in lipid (fat) molecules to make a protective coating. This will protect the vaccine until it is injected into your test subject. Choose someone you wouldn’t miss in case something goes wrong. Like Uncle Peter.
- Once inside Uncle Peter, a helpful immune cell gobbles up the tasty lipid M&M, releasing the mRNA.
- The Messages of mRNA is instructions for making endless copies of the spike protein and poke them out of the cell.
- The immune system learns to recognize the spike protein.
- Killer T cells attack anything that has spike protein.
- B cells make emergency batches of antibodies to spike proteins.
- Uncle Peter is now immune to covid-19. A mixed blessing.
Interesting factoid: T cells are named after the thymus gland where they were first identified. B cells are named after the Bursa of Fabricius, an organ in chickens.
Click here to see the original image. Much of the information comes from this article in the prestigious journal Nature.
You can almost hear them singing
Sea Squirts Reveal New Antifungal Drug Class
About two million people die each year from overwhelming fungal infections. Part of the problem is that many fungi have evolved complete resistance to antibiotics.
Fan Zhang and coauthors found bacteria in sea squirt mouths that kill of fungal competitors by making an antifungal drug. It’s called turbinmicin. It appears safe to give to mice and kills fungi by a completely new mechanism. Likely turbinmicin will kill fungi resistant to antifungals now available.
Thanks, little squirters.
That’s all ’till tomorrow.
