Dark Star Rising Second Edition (Pebbles in The Sky) by Jeffery Bagley Page A
Authors: Jeffery Bagley
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nucleotides, which are bound on one end to a phosphate group and on the other to a nitrogenous base. The nitrogenous base can be one of four types: adenine, cytosine, guanine or thymine. The nucleotides are joined in long strings to make up DNA and these two strands twist together to create DNA’s characteristic double helix. DNA stores the information that determines how an organism is basically what it is. It has all the information that allows that organism to eat, reproduce, and grow teeth, eyes or cilia depending on how complex it is.”
“RNA is a little different. DNA is defined as a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms. RNA molecules are involved in protein synthesis and sometimes in the transmission of genetic information. The main job of RNA is to transfer the genetic code needed for the creation of proteins from the nucleus to the ribosome. This process prevents the DNA from having to leave the nucleus. This keeps the DNA and genetic code protected from damage. Without RNA, proteins could never be made. A virus is made of either RNA or DNA. It is basically just a RNA molecule with a protein shell around it. It injects itself into a host cell, makes that host reproduce hundreds of copies of itself and thus just keeps on keeping on. The act of reproducing the new viruses usually kills the host cell. A lot of people really do not consider a virus as a living thing. It just sits around doing nothing but preying on other cells and making them produce new copies of the virus.”
The man in the suit just grunted and said, “Your basic explanation is still gibberish to me, but your explanation of a virus would describe about half the population in the world. They just sit around living off others efforts and making little copies of them-selves that will grow up and do the same exact thing. They contribute noting to society and just use up valuable resources. I think I understand that you are saying that your researchers have come up with a faster way to figure out what these DNA and RNA molecules are made of.”
Alec just grimaced and said, “I think that may be a little extreme of a comparison. People are a little more complicated than a virus.”
Mr. Suit, as Alec was starting to think of him, spoke again. “So these two researchers have developed a process that is much more efficient at doing what was already being done. They are just basically storing a blueprint of the molecule in question in a computer, correct?” He looked at John Knowles and Larry Niles and said, “What is the problem with that? I fail to see how this will cause a problem with Merck’s stock price. Arrange to get the patent on the process and consider the grant a good investment.”
“Actually, there is a lot more to it than that,” said Alec. “After they developed this process, they reverse engineered it so that they could actually reproduce the original RNA or DNA molecule in vitro so to speak. In other words, from the stored blueprint, the original RNA or DNA code residing in the computers database, they can reproduce the virus at any time they want. In the process, they can also manipulate certain aspects of the virus. In the particular issue we are discussing, they can render the virus incapable of invading its target host. This altered virus can be injected as a vaccine into an animal or human. The immune system sees it as an invader, develops antibodies that will guide the bodies killer white blood cells to destroy the virus.” The recipient of the vaccine develops immunity to the disease caused by that virus. Essentially they have developed the process for making the perfect vaccine.”
Mr. Suit sat up straight and thoughtfully exclaimed, “Why this process could be worth a fortune! Do we have rights to patent their research since we gave them their grant?”
“Not exactly,” Larry Niles
“RNA is a little different. DNA is defined as a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms. RNA molecules are involved in protein synthesis and sometimes in the transmission of genetic information. The main job of RNA is to transfer the genetic code needed for the creation of proteins from the nucleus to the ribosome. This process prevents the DNA from having to leave the nucleus. This keeps the DNA and genetic code protected from damage. Without RNA, proteins could never be made. A virus is made of either RNA or DNA. It is basically just a RNA molecule with a protein shell around it. It injects itself into a host cell, makes that host reproduce hundreds of copies of itself and thus just keeps on keeping on. The act of reproducing the new viruses usually kills the host cell. A lot of people really do not consider a virus as a living thing. It just sits around doing nothing but preying on other cells and making them produce new copies of the virus.”
The man in the suit just grunted and said, “Your basic explanation is still gibberish to me, but your explanation of a virus would describe about half the population in the world. They just sit around living off others efforts and making little copies of them-selves that will grow up and do the same exact thing. They contribute noting to society and just use up valuable resources. I think I understand that you are saying that your researchers have come up with a faster way to figure out what these DNA and RNA molecules are made of.”
Alec just grimaced and said, “I think that may be a little extreme of a comparison. People are a little more complicated than a virus.”
Mr. Suit, as Alec was starting to think of him, spoke again. “So these two researchers have developed a process that is much more efficient at doing what was already being done. They are just basically storing a blueprint of the molecule in question in a computer, correct?” He looked at John Knowles and Larry Niles and said, “What is the problem with that? I fail to see how this will cause a problem with Merck’s stock price. Arrange to get the patent on the process and consider the grant a good investment.”
“Actually, there is a lot more to it than that,” said Alec. “After they developed this process, they reverse engineered it so that they could actually reproduce the original RNA or DNA molecule in vitro so to speak. In other words, from the stored blueprint, the original RNA or DNA code residing in the computers database, they can reproduce the virus at any time they want. In the process, they can also manipulate certain aspects of the virus. In the particular issue we are discussing, they can render the virus incapable of invading its target host. This altered virus can be injected as a vaccine into an animal or human. The immune system sees it as an invader, develops antibodies that will guide the bodies killer white blood cells to destroy the virus.” The recipient of the vaccine develops immunity to the disease caused by that virus. Essentially they have developed the process for making the perfect vaccine.”
Mr. Suit sat up straight and thoughtfully exclaimed, “Why this process could be worth a fortune! Do we have rights to patent their research since we gave them their grant?”
“Not exactly,” Larry Niles
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