coolscience

Today was the second day working in the trout immunology lab.  We are getting some cultures prepared for mass plasmid production (~1mg) and set up a one hundred gallon fish tank for our trout in a couple weeks.

Last night I read over the paper that summarized the technique we would be adapting.  Very, very interesting.  A transgenic (frankenstein) Shigella bacteria with an inserted plasmid with a eukaryotic promoter was used to infect mice.  The bacteria would cross into the eukaryotic cells using an invasive protein activating a phagocytic response.  Once the bacteria was inside the cell though it would be quickly lysed from an engineered deficiency in cell wall peptidoglycan and the plasmid dna would be released into the cytosol (preferably a macrophage cell).   The plasmid was coded for a surface HIV protein (glycoprotein) and an immune response developed.  The established response then protected the mouse from HIV infection in the blood and through mucus membranes. So its pretty cool that they were able to do develop a immune response to HIV for mice, but a shame that other potential dangers like using transgenic bacteria as a vector and that it couldn’t be properly tested in people from the high risk that keep this from being pursued quicker.

In our lab we are working on essentially the same technique for a different disease for a different animal.  We are testing this method for establishing an immune response to infectious hemapoietic necrosis virus (INHV) in trout/salmon.  A little less important but much less red tape. Apparently it is a big problem to recreational fisherman and figh farmers in the northwest though and maybe it will give me some resume cred if I want to go back to alaska to work later.