nanotech funding

[Admiral Valdemar]

Isn't it possible to make more efficient solar panels from nanotechnology?

Yes, and they're doing so. As long as it is also cheap and non-toxic, it will work.

[wolveraptor]

Bah. We've already identified the gene that probably creates a resistance to aids. All we have to figure out is how to genetically modify babies at conception, and (barring a sudden mutation by the HIV virus that totally changes their method of reproduction) the virus'll soon die out in humans. Nanotech need not be involved.

Every possible single point mutation in an HIV genome in an AIDS patient is expressed in a given day. The genetic differences between clades is over 30%. Basing your HIV vaccine on the hope that it doesn't mutate around it is likely to be futile. I have yet to read about broad spectrum HIV immunity gene that has passed rigoriouis clinical examination; I expect I never will.

I'm not even talking about a vaccine. There's a mutation found in descendants of the survivors of the Bubonic Plague of Europe that protects their white-blood cells from invasion by foreign bodies. The plague bacteria behaved similarly to the HIV virus in that way.

Some believe that the plague was actually a virus, though that is not yet cemented. Regardless, there seems to be consent in the medical community that there is a mutation that may cause AIDs resistance.

Linky

[tharkûn]

Isn't it possible to make more efficient solar panels from nanotechnology?

Being tried as we type. The it looks like they will go from utter crap to generic crap, compared to nuclear, within the near future.

I'm not even talking about a vaccine.

Which definition of the word are you using? It sounds an awful lot like the GE based vaccination approach coming out of Scripps.

There's a mutation found in descendants of the survivors of the Bubonic Plague of Europe that protects their white-blood cells from invasion by foreign bodies. The plague bacteria behaved similarly to the HIV virus in that way. ... Regardless, there seems to be consent in the medical community that there is a mutation that may cause AIDs resistance.

The last data I saw showed the bubonic hypothesis to be wrong and the door to be wide open on the smallpox hypothesis. In any event there have been cases where homozygous CCR5-32 individuals nevertheless contracted AIDS. The case I am familiar with involved an HIV strain which ignored the CCR5 receptor and invaded via the CXCR4 receptor. It looks like CCR3 and CCR2 are both potential HIV targets. To the best of my knowledge all claims of "immunity genes" fail against one HIV variant or another.

The mutation you appear to be citing works against a huge number of HIV variations, but it is known that a few variations are not effected. If you were to make the entire population CCR5-32 homozygous the result would be a dramatic drop in AIDS cases over time followed by a massive upsurge once the unaffected variations outcompeted the others and spread like wildfire.

This is not to say that work utilizing this data is futile, far from it, atagonists targeting these receptors, two viral proteins, or a few other points in the signal transduction pathway are all good targets for treatment drugs. Several are in already in pharma's pipeline.