WSU Will Lead $125 Million Global Project To Find, Analyze Animal Viruses (geekwire.com) 34
Washington State University this week launched a new $125 million program to collect and analyze animal viruses with the aim of preventing the next pandemic. GeekWire reports: The program is funded with an award from the U.S. Agency for International Development and includes researchers at the University of Washington and the Seattle-based nonprofit PATH. The project will partner with up to 12 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America to build up lab capacity for surveillance of animal viruses that have the potential to "spillover" into humans and cause disease. The project will survey wildlife and domesticated animals for three families of viruses -- coronaviruses, filoviruses (which includes Ebola), and paramyxoviruses (which are in the same family as the measles and Nipah viruses). Researchers will not be working in the lab with the live viruses and will kill them as part of the collection process.
The team aims to collect more than 800,000 samples in the five years of the project, called Discovery & Exploration of Emerging Pathogens -- Viral Zoonoses, or DEEP VZN. The project is expected to yield 8,000 to 12,000 novel, previously unknown, viruses for analysis. The program has parallels with another USAID-funded program, STOP Spillover, which assesses risk factors for animal-to-human disease transmission and implements interventions to stop it. DEEP VZN will select partner sites outside the U.S. based on factors such as commitment to data sharing and whether there are lots of interactions between humans and animals in the region. Other partners for the project include Washington University in St. Louis and the nonprofit FHI 360.
The team aims to collect more than 800,000 samples in the five years of the project, called Discovery & Exploration of Emerging Pathogens -- Viral Zoonoses, or DEEP VZN. The project is expected to yield 8,000 to 12,000 novel, previously unknown, viruses for analysis. The program has parallels with another USAID-funded program, STOP Spillover, which assesses risk factors for animal-to-human disease transmission and implements interventions to stop it. DEEP VZN will select partner sites outside the U.S. based on factors such as commitment to data sharing and whether there are lots of interactions between humans and animals in the region. Other partners for the project include Washington University in St. Louis and the nonprofit FHI 360.
Go Cougs! (Score:2)
Re:Go Cougs! (Score:5, Informative)
So, for anyone who doesn't know, WSU is in the agricultural (eastern) half of WA state, and has a pretty big animal science program. As such, this isn't too big of a surprise that they'd be involved in a project like this. Sort of weird to hear about it on Slashdot, but I guess the study of animal viruses is stuff that matters these days.
And before anyone comments on the safety issue (oops, too late)... from TFA:
The project will emphasize safety. “We will build in the safe handling of samples, that is a huge part of the project,” said Kawula. Researchers will not be working in the lab with the live viruses and will kill them as part of the collection process.
Also, in other big news, WSU gets their fourth win in the American Society of Animal Sciences Ice Cream Competition. [wsu.edu]
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So, for anyone who doesn't know, WSU is in the agricultural (eastern) half of WA state, and has a pretty big animal science program.
Don't forget to mention Cougar Gold cheese!
I believe most (maybe even all) "State" universities in the US are land grant universities [slashdot.org] and were originally founded with the intention of focussing on agricultural and animal sciences - as well as engineering.
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WTH happened with that link, Slashdot?
Land grant university - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
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to break some key molecule of the virus, rendering it unable to duplicate even if inserted into wanted cells.
That does not really sound plausible, as a virus has on the outside only a shell, and depending on virus type the so called spike proteins. Everything needed for replication, is inside of the virus.
There might be exceptions, though.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
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That is not the same thing, sorry.
Perhaps you should read your link: inactivated viruses still infect cells, they still get produced by the cells, they still cause the appropriated immune response. It is not a "dead virus", which the my question was about.
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So how exactly are they going to kill them?
I was thinking the same.
ok (Score:5, Insightful)
I think we can all agree they better be careful not to do gain of function experiments on these viruses they collect.
Re: ok (Score:5, Funny)
yeah. the last time I tried to do gain of function research, your mother got pregnant.
Re: ok (Score:5, Funny)
My mother has never been pregnant. Just to make it clear.
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Neither, it was a normal birth.
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They are saying they were a surrogate birth.
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> I think we can all agree they better be careful not to do gain of function experiments on these viruses they collect.
That is outlawed on US soil, which is why Fauci/Obama paid Chinese labs to carry out those experiments. I can say that now that it's literally BEEN documented and discussed in a congressional hearing, right? Or is it still see no evil, speak no evil
Confusion (Score:2)
I've lived in both areas, and this is still confusing LMAO
University of Washington (Seattle)
Washington State University (a few hours outside of Seattle)
Washington University (of St Louis, half way across the country)
All three are involved!
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Washington State University (a few hours outside of Seattle)
"A few hours" kind of understates it. It's almost 300 miles, across a mountain range and on the opposite side of the state! Not to mention a giant cultural shift away...
WSU is actually further away from Seattle than either of Oregon's state universities is!
All right! (Score:4, Insightful)
Bringing the next virus at lightening speed!
Conspiracy Nuts have another enemy (Score:2)
It's going to be a more believable conspiracy next time; given the USA's history covertly fucking with the world, this is probably the worst place to do this research. Maybe they already created COVID and planted it in China back in time so they could kill of Trump supporters to prevent the end of the world?
You can try to live in ignorant bliss but stay the fuck away from science. We've not nuked the world yet...We've not had a bioweapon outbreak yet.. we have had outbreaks of mass hysteria from weaponized
so to prevent the next virus (Score:2)
so to prevent the next virus we do exactly what was done ( not proven clame yet) that caused the last one
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Bad idea (Score:4, Insightful)
WhatCouldPossiblyGoWrong flag needed (Score:2)
Badly!
Here We Go Again! (Score:2)
What will really happen (Score:2)
Researcher 1: Wouldn't it be cool if I invented a deer super flu that killed them within 24 to 48 hours of infection?
Researcher 2: Can you have it also infect them with rabies for a double whammy?
Researcher 1: Yes I can!
Researcher 2: Very cool. How could this possibly go wrong? High fives all ar
Sounds Familiar (Score:1)