SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Discussion in 'Environmental Discussion' started by tochatihu, Jan 26, 2020.

  1. frodoz737

    frodoz737 Top Wrench

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    Still backing those mandated COVID vaccines that didn't work. :rolleyes:
     
  2. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    Begs the question if antibiotic resistant microbes could be used to develop broader antibiotics using mRNA technology?

    I'm engineering, not medical or organic chemistry trained. The challenge of growing cultures of antibiotic resistant microbes strikes me as not trivial. But deciphering the RNA vector is a hard problem. Testing is another challenge.

    Heard an NPR program about using bacteriophage (phage) to treat an antibiotic resistant infection. At least mRNA is relatively inert.

    It is a shame so much computing and energy are wasted "mining" bit coins.

    Bob Wilson
     
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  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    and developing ai
     
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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  5. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    "The challenge of growing cultures of antibiotic resistant microbes strikes me as not trivial." If you are set up with a laminar flow hood, petri dishes, nutrient agar, and what lab people call "good hands" it would not be hard. Challenges are later in genomics to see what they have that antibiotic sensitive microbes don't. Then on to metabolomics to see which differences can be exploited. It is multi disciplinary, and in each field requires people who know more than I do :)

    "... using bacteriophage (phage) to treat an antibiotic resistant infection". Since the time when Earth only had bacteria and viruses, this war has been fought. Two billion years give or take. Surely the longest war ever. One can be enthusiastic about siding with viruses against bacteria, as they are effing good at it. However viruses have a much more recent field to exploit (us!), and many bacteria are helpful to us. So this will require really good hands in the lab and really good risk assessments.

    "At least mRNA is relatively inert." I give that a no. mRNA is fragile everywhere. It is effective if it can enter cells because that's where the ribosomes are. Two very important aspects of mRNA:

    Each can only do one 'thing'.
    None can 'insert' into your (anybodys') genome. It don't work that way.

    Two other very important aspects of mRNA:
    Now vaccine companies have paved the way protecting mRNA with lipids (buttering them up).
    mRNA 'coding' for any of many toxic proteins would be formidable weapons. Eeew.

    ==
    mRNA vaccines saved millions of lives from COVID. mRNA technology has awesome prospects, both positive and negative. In my rear view mirror I can still see really small people who are not yet in 21st century.
     
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  6. frodoz737

    frodoz737 Top Wrench

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    There he goes again saying the COVID shots saved us.
     
  7. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Somebody stop him before he starts saying water is wet.
     
  8. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    Which one of us?

    Bob Wilson
     
  9. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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  10. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    Bacteria at their worst are pretty darn bad, but finally they are plain ol' parasites growing themselves where they can do.

    Viruses OTOH are uniquely sneaky - they make YOU make more of them. And none of them are not so; they only have different hosts.

    Medical responses to all parasites are fundamentally similar. They interfere with parasites' metabolism in a way that does not bother hosts (or does so much less).

    Medical responses to viruses come in two types. They either prepare hosts' immune systems for future fights, or block the sneaky ways viruses take control of hosts' nucleic acids and protein syntheses. The former is done 'old school' by introducing weakened viruses (or their bits) for immune-system preparation. The latter is done 'new school' by introducing mRNA, after which hosts DIY.

    One type of COVID vaccination took a different path, using modified Adenovirus to instruct hosts to DIY. Russian Sputnik and maybe a British vaccine were like that (incomplete memory on that). Adenovirus vaccines are the only ones I'd decline because I do not share the general perspective that Adenovirus are so very nice with no tricks up their sleeves. They don't have sleeves, so please pardon a metaphor.

    ==
    Elsewhere readers may have noticed that bird flu has become less of a thing. Seems to stem from chicken growers making improved infection control at some costs. It does not seem to have been from chicken growers vaccinating their flocks. Such vaccines exist but I don't know details of vaccines. I suppose they contain weakened viruses, they are generally used in China and therefore must be 'dirt' cheap.

    But in 'The West', chicken growers are now spending money they should have been spending before, and it seems to be working.

    ==
    The wetness of water?
    Is Water Wet? The Answer is Surprisingly Elusive
    Other more painfully detailed scientific discussions could be linked, but shall we not?
     
  11. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i was reading that a common nasal spray antihistamine is doing well protecting against covid in clinical trials
     
  12. Merkey

    Merkey Active Member

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    Anyone know of Patrick Soon-Shiong? Quite an impressive background in pharma R&D. Interviewed by Megyn Kelly recently.