Did your ancestors survive the Bubonic Plague during the Middle Ages? If so, some scientists suggest that you may have a genetic resistance to HIV infection.
Why? Scientists think perhaps a genetic mutation may have prevented the plague from killing part of the population of Europe during the Middle Ages. Mutations on the CCR5 (delta 32) gene prevented the plague bacterium from binding to the white blood cells in people with the mutation.
Scientists are testing their hypothesis that descendents of those survivors may prove resistant to infection from HIV.
Proving this theory requires historical and genealogical research as well as scientific research.
Ask Mrs. Nowell (8th grade Math) if you want to learn more. She may have a plague-survivor ancestor!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Particle Mania!
The Large Hadron Collider is back up and running.
Already particles are slamming into each other at the greatest speeds ever achieved. Scientists are hoping to find answers to fundamental physics questions about the nature of the matter that makes up the universe and how the universe began.
Sci-fi buffs have had fun speculating that the collider might cause a black hole that would swallow our solar system (it didn't!) or that it is being sabotaged from the future. (Well, a bird did drop a small piece of a baguette into the collider...)
Anyway, stay tuned for updates!
Already particles are slamming into each other at the greatest speeds ever achieved. Scientists are hoping to find answers to fundamental physics questions about the nature of the matter that makes up the universe and how the universe began.
Sci-fi buffs have had fun speculating that the collider might cause a black hole that would swallow our solar system (it didn't!) or that it is being sabotaged from the future. (Well, a bird did drop a small piece of a baguette into the collider...)
Anyway, stay tuned for updates!
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