SpaceX's Next Launch Carries Colonies Of A Drug-Resistant Superbug (businessinsider.com.au) 56
An anonymous reader quotes Business Insider:
SpaceX is preparing to launch a lethal, antibiotic-resistant superbug into orbit...to live its days in the microgravity environment of the International Space Station. The idea is not to weaponize space with MRSA -- a bacterium that kills more Americans every year than HIV/AIDS, Parkinson's disease, emphysema, and homicide combined -- but to send its mutation rates into hyperdrive, allowing scientists to see the pathogen's next moves well before they appear on Earth. The NASA-funded study will see SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket launch colonies of MRSA into space, to be cultivated in the US National Laboratory on the International Space Station.
"We will leverage the microgravity environment on the ISS to accelerate the Precision Medicine revolution here on Earth," lead researcher Anita Goel, CEO of biotech company Nanobiosym, told Yahoo News... "Our ability to anticipate drug-resistant mutations with Gene-RADAR will lead to next generation antibiotics that are more precisely tailored to stop the spread of the world's most dangerous pathogens," says Goel.
That launch was scheduled for today, but SpaceX postponed it to "take a closer look at positioning of the second stage engine nozzle." [UPDATE: The launch was completed successfully on Sunday.] Two more externally-mounted payloads will conduct other experiments, with one monitoring lightning strikes on earth and the other measuring chemicals in the earth's atmosphere. In addition, there's also 21 science experiments that were submitted by high school students
Meanwhile, Slashdot reader tomhath brings news that researchers have discovered the red berries of a U.S. weed can help fight superbugs. The researchers found "extracts from the Brazilian peppertree, which traditional healers in the Amazon have used for hundreds of years to treat skin and soft-tissue infections, have the power to stop methicillin-resistant MRSA infections in mice." One of the researchers said the extract "weakens the bacteria so the mouse's own defenses work better."
"We will leverage the microgravity environment on the ISS to accelerate the Precision Medicine revolution here on Earth," lead researcher Anita Goel, CEO of biotech company Nanobiosym, told Yahoo News... "Our ability to anticipate drug-resistant mutations with Gene-RADAR will lead to next generation antibiotics that are more precisely tailored to stop the spread of the world's most dangerous pathogens," says Goel.
That launch was scheduled for today, but SpaceX postponed it to "take a closer look at positioning of the second stage engine nozzle." [UPDATE: The launch was completed successfully on Sunday.] Two more externally-mounted payloads will conduct other experiments, with one monitoring lightning strikes on earth and the other measuring chemicals in the earth's atmosphere. In addition, there's also 21 science experiments that were submitted by high school students
Meanwhile, Slashdot reader tomhath brings news that researchers have discovered the red berries of a U.S. weed can help fight superbugs. The researchers found "extracts from the Brazilian peppertree, which traditional healers in the Amazon have used for hundreds of years to treat skin and soft-tissue infections, have the power to stop methicillin-resistant MRSA infections in mice." One of the researchers said the extract "weakens the bacteria so the mouse's own defenses work better."
Oh, God, I saw this show (Score:2)
...in reruns. "Kill Zone", an episode of the original MacGyver [wikipedia.org]. Although I wouldn't recommend the episode to anyone.
Simply put, it ends up like this episode of Star Trek TNG [wikipedia.org], but without a transporter to fix things in the end.
Re:Oh, God, I saw this show (Score:5, Funny)
I'm more 'old school' so was thinking Andromeda Strain [wikipedia.org]
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Efficient Distribution Mechanism (Score:1, Funny)
Given SpaceX history of detonating rockets, it seems like the probability of it becoming an efficient mechanism for distributing MRSA over the Earth's surface is not insignificant.
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don't you know that even nuclear explosions don't kill these things, it just fuels them? Haven't you read the Andromeda Strain??
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A ballistic missile seems a bit overkill (so to speak) for that mission.
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No, no, it's perfectly safe - now that they got rid of those pesky "roof snipers"
A Windfall for Chemtrail Conspiracy Nuts (Score:2)
Speaking of efficient distribution... Now big government and big pharma can create and spread their mind-control chemicals and diseases around the world than from orbit! AMIRITE?!?!? The conspiracy theorist blogs and fake news sites are going to use this stuff for years!
Waiting for the hypocrites (Score:2, Funny)
"extracts from the Brazilian peppertree, which traditional healers in the Amazon have used for hundreds of years to treat skin and soft-tissue infections, have the power to stop methicillin-resistant MRSA infections in mice."
There will be those who will cheer this by saying we should look at more plants (or weeds in this case) and do more extracts to try and find ways to help people, but on the other hand will vehemently oppose trying to extract anything from marijuana which might help people because then
Re:Waiting for the hypocrites (Score:4, Insightful)
Well we do look at more plants. On every part of earth and under the sea. Aspirin was derived from a plant, and a fine example of how a natural substance can be patented and earn millions of dollars. It's a gold rush. Anthropologists inquire about native medicines worldwide. All in the interest of corporate greed.
You see, natural substances can't be patented. They are worthless. If dandelions could cure cancer, no advanced corporation would take an interest. But they would analyze every molecule of the plant to find a specific one that did the job--and patent that. Once they have a product to sell at a great profit, they will spread FUD to prevent people from using real dandelions to cure their disease.
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Once they have a product to sell at a great profit, they will spread FUD to prevent people from using real dandelions to cure their disease.
Like they do with aspirin so people won't use willow bark?
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Don't be an ass. There is no patent on aspirin at this time.
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Don't be an ass. There is no patent on aspirin at this time.
But there was, wasn't there? Big Pharma patented an extract from a plant and made people pay for it during which time they spread FUD so people wouldn't use real willow bark to cure their headaches, didn't they?
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Not so much. For one, willow bark contains salicin, and though it has been used since Egyptian times, is less potent and causes side effects like gastric distress and potentially heart issues. Salicylic acid is a more potent extract, but still causes side effects. Aspirin is a derivation of this - acetylsalicylic acid, which eliminated most of the side effects but wasn't medically tested until nearly 1900.
ASA was ineligible for patenting in its country of discovery (Germany), but was patented in the UK and
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Bayer established themselves as a powerhouse in pharmaceuticals with aspirin. Much in Bayer's history is controversial.
None of this is directly related to my point that patents are critical for funding in corporations and for research and ultimate acceptance by government and the medical establishment. Items that are unpatentable (vitamins, etc) do not get major research funding and rarely get the publicity of patented drugs.
No need for microgravity to accelerate mutation (Score:3, Informative)
This just sounds like a bad idea. (Score:2)
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Someone forgot the tag: whatcouldpossiblygowrong
And I'm going to leverage... (Score:3)
...the sandwich on my plate to decelerate my hunger. After that I'm going to leverage the lever on my handlebar to leverage the deceleration of my bike.
I'm literally shaken, not stirred. (Score:1)
AI, robot cars, and now space irradiate deadly bacteria?! Elon musk is a god damned Bond villain.
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He's laughing in his secret underground lair in the Brazilian jungle right now
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Before the loons get to it. (Score:2)
Trump conspires with Musk up to have the rocket explode over the Soviet Union.
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The heat would probably destroy any living organism...
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It's a time machine, too?
I saw it in a movie, (Score:2)
so it must be possible. Movie writers are scientists.
I haven't read the article, but... (Score:2)
Am I the only one thinking this is pointless, as far as the proposed reasoning for this experiment is concerned? My guess is that this is an experiment just to see what happens (like most other science experiments), but it was sold to the higher-ups responsible for funding this project (and possibly the general public) with easy-to-understand, but completely pointless premise. It's pointless for at least two reasons:
1) Mutations are *random*. There is no predetermined path that evolution will take place. Ot
Security Safety (Score:1)
we've all seen (Score:2)
the blob!