In order to test the virus to determine if it was indeed Ebola-like, Jahrling had to use "blood serum from human victims. The blood serum would react to viruses" (Preston 215). He used three tests: the Musoke test, the Boniface test, and the Mayinga test. Each of these is named after the victim, having different strains and forms of the virus. Whichever reacted and glowed when exposed to the virus would most like be the virus that he was studying. Basically, after letting the samples sit for hours, he would chemically treat them, place a sample on a slide, and put it under a UV light in order to determine if the cells were glowing or not. "To his horror, the Mayinga glowed brightly" (Preston 217), quite possibly meaning that he had a sample of Ebola at hand. After examining the Mayinga test, he believed he was dealing with Ebola Zaire, or at least some other very similar strain to the one that Nurse Mayinga died from. As any reasonable scientist, he decided to conduct the test again to make sure that his results were indeed a product of reality and not of his mistakes. Once again, his results were that the Mayinga test was glowing brightly, meaning his initial test was correct: he was dealing with a strain of Marburg/Ebola.
Proteins, like GFP, have gained popularity in the scientific community, as they are easy to use. GFP, specifically, is harvested from jellyfish (MacLachlan). Glowing proteins have not only been used for aesthetic purposes, but also for research concerning the spreading and testing of illnesses. After Jahrling obtained samples from the stash of ebola virus particles, he "treated them with chemicals" (Preston 216), which were most likely glowing proteins. He must have heat shocked glowing proteins into the monkey blood samples that would react to the samples of ebola blood. These proteins should be able to react with the proteins coating the cell wall/membrane of the virus in order to cause the reaction and the glowing (MacLachlan).
MacLachlan, A. (2011, October 27). How a Jellyfish Protein Transformed Science. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
I agree with Alejandra. In order to identify the virus found in the monkey cells, Jahrling put some of the virus on cells that were previously contaminated with different strains of Ebola: Musoke’s cells, Boniface’s cells, and Mayinga’s cells. The cells which react to the virus in the monkey will glow the brightest. Mayinga’s cells glowed the brightest, showing that the virus in the monkey was indeed Ebola Zaire (the same strain of Ebola Nurse Mayinga contracted). Jahrling and another scientist whiffed the sample of dead monkey, so he was obviously shocked to learn the sample contained Ebola. Therefore, he ran the tests again to ensure he did not make any mistakes the first time. Unfortunately, he had the same results as before. The virus in the monkey was Ebola.
Citation: Preston, R. (1994). The Hot Zone. New York City, New York: Random House.
In order to test the virus to determine if it was indeed Ebola-like, Jahrling had to use "blood serum from human victims. The blood serum would react to viruses" (Preston 215). He used three tests: the Musoke test, the Boniface test, and the Mayinga test. Each of these is named after the victim, having different strains and forms of the virus. Whichever reacted and glowed when exposed to the virus would most like be the virus that he was studying. Basically, after letting the samples sit for hours, he would chemically treat them, place a sample on a slide, and put it under a UV light in order to determine if the cells were glowing or not. "To his horror, the Mayinga glowed brightly" (Preston 217), quite possibly meaning that he had a sample of Ebola at hand. After examining the Mayinga test, he believed he was dealing with Ebola Zaire, or at least some other very similar strain to the one that Nurse Mayinga died from. As any reasonable scientist, he decided to conduct the test again to make sure that his results were indeed a product of reality and not of his mistakes. Once again, his results were that the Mayinga test was glowing brightly, meaning his initial test was correct: he was dealing with a strain of Marburg/Ebola.
ReplyDeleteHi Alejandra, just what exactly was causing the blood serum from Mayinga to react to Ebola Zaire?
DeleteHi Alejandra, just what exactly was causing the blood serum from Mayinga to react to Ebola Zaire?
DeleteProteins, like GFP, have gained popularity in the scientific community, as they are easy to use. GFP, specifically, is harvested from jellyfish (MacLachlan). Glowing proteins have not only been used for aesthetic purposes, but also for research concerning the spreading and testing of illnesses. After Jahrling obtained samples from the stash of ebola virus particles, he "treated them with chemicals" (Preston 216), which were most likely glowing proteins. He must have heat shocked glowing proteins into the monkey blood samples that would react to the samples of ebola blood. These proteins should be able to react with the proteins coating the cell wall/membrane of the virus in order to cause the reaction and the glowing (MacLachlan).
DeleteMacLachlan, A. (2011, October 27). How a Jellyfish Protein Transformed Science. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Alejandra. In order to identify the virus found in the monkey cells, Jahrling put some of the virus on cells that were previously contaminated with different strains of Ebola: Musoke’s cells, Boniface’s cells, and Mayinga’s cells. The cells which react to the virus in the monkey will glow the brightest. Mayinga’s cells glowed the brightest, showing that the virus in the monkey was indeed Ebola Zaire (the same strain of Ebola Nurse Mayinga contracted). Jahrling and another scientist whiffed the sample of dead monkey, so he was obviously shocked to learn the sample contained Ebola. Therefore, he ran the tests again to ensure he did not make any mistakes the first time. Unfortunately, he had the same results as before. The virus in the monkey was Ebola.
Citation: Preston, R. (1994). The Hot Zone. New York City, New York: Random House.