Comments on: One jump from gorillas to humans – the origin of malaria http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2010/09/22/one-jump-from-gorillas-to-humans-the-origin-of-malaria/ Mon, 26 Nov 2012 12:00:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Torbjörn Larsson, OM http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2010/09/22/one-jump-from-gorillas-to-humans-the-origin-of-malaria/#comment-9230 Torbjörn Larsson, OM Sat, 25 Sep 2010 07:02:30 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=2743#comment-9230 Interesting! <blockquote> Their technique, known as “single genome amplification”, relies on diluting the original sample so that you can be sure you’re starting off with just a single molecule of DNA. </blockquote> Say, that is ingenious! As I model it they dilute the hell out of the sample, to be safe most sample cups will be empty and not amplify. Those remaining will mostly have one DNA molecule. If they don't, they likely will have two DNA molecules of the major strain. Very few will have a mix, and in that case it is 50/50 hybrids at best and perhaps easier to straighten out than minute percentages of contamination. That is probably not that happens in practice, but at least the gedanken experiment should imply the inherent strength of the method. Terrific! Interesting!

Their technique, known as “single genome amplification”, relies on diluting the original sample so that you can be sure you’re starting off with just a single molecule of DNA.

Say, that is ingenious!

As I model it they dilute the hell out of the sample, to be safe most sample cups will be empty and not amplify. Those remaining will mostly have one DNA molecule. If they don’t, they likely will have two DNA molecules of the major strain. Very few will have a mix, and in that case it is 50/50 hybrids at best and perhaps easier to straighten out than minute percentages of contamination.

That is probably not that happens in practice, but at least the gedanken experiment should imply the inherent strength of the method. Terrific!

]]> By: Dave http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2010/09/22/one-jump-from-gorillas-to-humans-the-origin-of-malaria/#comment-9229 Dave Fri, 24 Sep 2010 17:45:48 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=2743#comment-9229 Would this model also apply to viruses which have made the jump from apes to humans? I'm thinking primarily of Marburg/Ebola, but other viruses may also apply. Dave Would this model also apply to viruses which have made the jump from apes to humans? I’m thinking primarily of Marburg/Ebola, but other viruses may also apply.

Dave

]]> By: Blackbird http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2010/09/22/one-jump-from-gorillas-to-humans-the-origin-of-malaria/#comment-9228 Blackbird Thu, 23 Sep 2010 22:18:23 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=2743#comment-9228 Good piece Ed, just a little more nitpicking. You say that bonobos "probably contracted the infections from their human handlers." but malaria is transmitted by mosquitoes, which move about, not necessarily after biting people you have been in close contact with. I think the sentence might make some reader believe you can get malaria directly from other people. <strong>[Also fair - amended above. - Ed]</strong> Good piece Ed, just a little more nitpicking. You say that bonobos “probably contracted the infections from their human handlers.” but malaria is transmitted by mosquitoes, which move about, not necessarily after biting people you have been in close contact with. I think the sentence might make some reader believe you can get malaria directly from other people.

[Also fair - amended above. - Ed]

]]> By: Ed Yong http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2010/09/22/one-jump-from-gorillas-to-humans-the-origin-of-malaria/#comment-9227 Ed Yong Thu, 23 Sep 2010 12:07:50 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=2743#comment-9227 A very, very good point. I've changed that instance and a couple of others throughout the piece. Thanks for chipping in. A very, very good point. I’ve changed that instance and a couple of others throughout the piece. Thanks for chipping in.

]]> By: CPR http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2010/09/22/one-jump-from-gorillas-to-humans-the-origin-of-malaria/#comment-9226 CPR Thu, 23 Sep 2010 12:02:31 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=2743#comment-9226 Thanks for this interesting summation of the research. One minor quibble, you write that malaria "made the jump from ape to human." But humans are apes. It may seem nitpicky, but I think this kind of phrasing leads to confusion among non-scientific readers who think humans are an utterly different type of creature, when we're merely one of the African great apes. Thanks for this interesting summation of the research. One minor quibble, you write that malaria “made the jump from ape to human.” But humans are apes. It may seem nitpicky, but I think this kind of phrasing leads to confusion among non-scientific readers who think humans are an utterly different type of creature, when we’re merely one of the African great apes.

]]> By: Rhacodactylus http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2010/09/22/one-jump-from-gorillas-to-humans-the-origin-of-malaria/#comment-9225 Rhacodactylus Wed, 22 Sep 2010 18:18:41 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=2743#comment-9225 Damned Dirty Apes!!! Damned Dirty Apes!!!

]]> By: NewBubba http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2010/09/22/one-jump-from-gorillas-to-humans-the-origin-of-malaria/#comment-9224 NewBubba Wed, 22 Sep 2010 17:21:10 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/?p=2743#comment-9224 Beatrice Hahn is the last author of the paper. Looks like Liu was working in HER lab. Not that this matters to the science but fyi..... Beatrice Hahn is the last author of the paper. Looks like Liu was working in HER lab. Not that this matters to the science but fyi…..

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