Comments on: How a zombie virus became a big biotech business http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2011/05/23/how-a-zombie-virus-became-a-billion-dollar-business/ Mon, 04 Feb 2013 17:13:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Zombies Have Invaded the Internet | Full Stop http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2011/05/23/how-a-zombie-virus-became-a-billion-dollar-business/#comment-16226 Zombies Have Invaded the Internet | Full Stop Tue, 26 Jun 2012 06:05:42 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/?p=4560#comment-16226 [...] less knowledgeable humans that biological brain control definitely doesn’t exist (except in caterpillars, ants, and—in the case of the absurd cat lady syndrome—maybe humans a little bit). For a person [...] [...] less knowledgeable humans that biological brain control definitely doesn’t exist (except in caterpillars, ants, and—in the case of the absurd cat lady syndrome—maybe humans a little bit). For a person [...]

]]> By: zombie virus http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2011/05/23/how-a-zombie-virus-became-a-billion-dollar-business/#comment-16225 zombie virus Fri, 01 Jun 2012 06:35:41 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/?p=4560#comment-16225 Seems like they have discovered a real zombie virus that infects humans. The first confirmed case is the cannibal in miami. Would this be a billion dollar industry as well? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqScYBFFYZQ Seems like they have discovered a real zombie virus that infects humans. The first confirmed case is the cannibal in miami. Would this be a billion dollar industry as well?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqScYBFFYZQ

]]> By: Zombie Research « jessicaalliejohnson http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2011/05/23/how-a-zombie-virus-became-a-billion-dollar-business/#comment-16224 Zombie Research « jessicaalliejohnson Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:04:58 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/?p=4560#comment-16224 [...] o  How a zombie virus became a big biotech business [...] [...] o  How a zombie virus became a big biotech business [...]

]]> By: All about information from internet » Post Topic » Gigantic virus discovery rivets scientists http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2011/05/23/how-a-zombie-virus-became-a-billion-dollar-business/#comment-16223 All about information from internet » Post Topic » Gigantic virus discovery rivets scientists Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:55:25 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/?p=4560#comment-16223 [...] are many weird viruses on this planet, though nothing weirder-in a essentially critical way-than a organisation famous as [...] [...] are many weird viruses on this planet, though nothing weirder-in a essentially critical way-than a organisation famous as [...]

]]> By: Genetics of the body snatchers! | The Why Files http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2011/05/23/how-a-zombie-virus-became-a-billion-dollar-business/#comment-16222 Genetics of the body snatchers! | The Why Files Thu, 08 Sep 2011 20:25:24 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/?p=4560#comment-16222 [...] ↩ Alien profile (for kids!) ↩Gypsy moth fact sheets, regulation and management. ↩Zombie viruses. ↩Zombie ants. ↩Podcast: Toxoplasmosis and rat behavior. ↩Toxoplasmosis and human [...] [...] ↩ Alien profile (for kids!) ↩Gypsy moth fact sheets, regulation and management. ↩Zombie viruses. ↩Zombie ants. ↩Podcast: Toxoplasmosis and rat behavior. ↩Toxoplasmosis and human [...]

]]> By: Damn Nature You Scary « RomeroBrooks http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2011/05/23/how-a-zombie-virus-became-a-billion-dollar-business/#comment-16221 Damn Nature You Scary « RomeroBrooks Wed, 01 Jun 2011 21:01:31 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/?p=4560#comment-16221 [...] Via: Discover Magazine [...] [...] Via: Discover Magazine [...]

]]> By: Bill Tyne http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2011/05/23/how-a-zombie-virus-became-a-billion-dollar-business/#comment-16220 Bill Tyne Wed, 01 Jun 2011 15:22:59 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/?p=4560#comment-16220 The current research on baculoviral chitinase (one of the two enzymes involved in liquefaction of the host, the other being cathepsin) is inconclusive with regards to its origins. While early studies focussed on the similarity of baculovirual chitinase to the chitinase of the bacteria S. marsecens the use of phylogenetic analysis has proved inconclusive. The enzyme is not, however related to the eukaryotic chitinase found in the insect host. There is a very similar version of chitinase found in some lepidoptera that is usually abbreviated chi-h. Chi-h appears to be prokaryotic in nature (no intronic sequence just promoter and a single reading frame). The paralysis induced by some engineered viruses was a deliberate modification to prevent the host from continuing to feed during the period post infection until it died (the gene for scorpion toxin was introduced into the viral genome). The reson for this was simply that the virus took a period of days to kill the host, during which time it would continue to damage crops unless immobilised. The research into scorptox ceased due to adverse publicity, this being around the height of the GM scare stories that were prevelant across the UK. The current research on baculoviral chitinase (one of the two enzymes involved in liquefaction of the host, the other being cathepsin) is inconclusive with regards to its origins. While early studies focussed on the similarity of baculovirual chitinase to the chitinase of the bacteria S. marsecens the use of phylogenetic analysis has proved inconclusive. The enzyme is not, however related to the eukaryotic chitinase found in the insect host. There is a very similar version of chitinase found in some lepidoptera that is usually abbreviated chi-h. Chi-h appears to be prokaryotic in nature (no intronic sequence just promoter and a single reading frame).
The paralysis induced by some engineered viruses was a deliberate modification to prevent the host from continuing to feed during the period post infection until it died (the gene for scorpion toxin was introduced into the viral genome). The reson for this was simply that the virus took a period of days to kill the host, during which time it would continue to damage crops unless immobilised. The research into scorptox ceased due to adverse publicity, this being around the height of the GM scare stories that were prevelant across the UK.

]]> By: Brandon Seifert http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2011/05/23/how-a-zombie-virus-became-a-billion-dollar-business/#comment-16219 Brandon Seifert Sat, 28 May 2011 02:09:23 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/?p=4560#comment-16219 God, that's amazing! I'm kicking myself for not having heard about this either — but it makes me feel better that you hadn't heard about it, since "Parasite Rex" was where I started my research into parasitology. Some of the details in there are wonderful. A viral infection that makes its host bloat up from the shear load of viruses inside? That's amazing. The enzyme dissolving the host's body reminds me a little of the ant-decapitating fly larvae dissolving the membrane that hold its host's head on, but that's mostly just free-association. Thank you for posting about this! - Brandon God, that’s amazing! I’m kicking myself for not having heard about this either — but it makes me feel better that you hadn’t heard about it, since “Parasite Rex” was where I started my research into parasitology.

Some of the details in there are wonderful. A viral infection that makes its host bloat up from the shear load of viruses inside? That’s amazing. The enzyme dissolving the host’s body reminds me a little of the ant-decapitating fly larvae dissolving the membrane that hold its host’s head on, but that’s mostly just free-association.

Thank you for posting about this!

- Brandon

]]> By: Daniel J. Andrews http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2011/05/23/how-a-zombie-virus-became-a-billion-dollar-business/#comment-16218 Daniel J. Andrews Wed, 25 May 2011 20:58:56 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/?p=4560#comment-16218 I finished your new virus book and my only complaint is that it is far too short and doesn't delve indepth into so many of the fascinating stories and people that must lie behind the discoveries. I can imagine you'd easily be able to triple the size of the book even if you didn't include all the new things being discovered (which I hope you do anyway so quadruple the size of the book). If you decide to do an indepth look at the viruses and the people doing the research, I'd buy that one too. I finished your new virus book and my only complaint is that it is far too short and doesn’t delve indepth into so many of the fascinating stories and people that must lie behind the discoveries. I can imagine you’d easily be able to triple the size of the book even if you didn’t include all the new things being discovered (which I hope you do anyway so quadruple the size of the book). If you decide to do an indepth look at the viruses and the people doing the research, I’d buy that one too.

]]> By: hexatron http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2011/05/23/how-a-zombie-virus-became-a-billion-dollar-business/#comment-16217 hexatron Wed, 25 May 2011 12:26:31 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/?p=4560#comment-16217 Making a caterpillar dissolve is probably a pretty simple genetic trick. Caterpillars dissolve themselves in the normal course of turning into butterflies. Making a caterpillar dissolve is probably a pretty simple genetic trick. Caterpillars dissolve themselves in the normal course of turning into butterflies.

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