Brown’s Stamp Shop in Merchiston Avenue – and then put the relevant page into the pool of light provided by his bedside lamp. The pictures hadn’t improved any with the keeping but he was still pretty sure that there was no membrane alteration to the healthy cells.
Feeling mentally exhausted, he got back into bed, switched out the light and drew his knees up to his chest in an effort to get warm. The difference between tumour cells and healthy tissue cells was … division control. The tumour cells were undergoing uncontrolled cell division while the healthy cells were not … the tumour cells were showing membrane change but the healthy cells were not. There had to be a link – something that tied in with why Grumman Schalk had thought they had a specific drug against tumour cells. They must have seen tumour cells dying in the lab but healthy cells surviving. He would have to check out the effects of Valdevan on normal cells for himself. He couldn’t just rely on old photographs. He would set up that experiment at the same time as running the last of the Valdevan concentration tests. He would go down to the tissue culture suite first thing in the morning and see about getting some healthy cell cultures.
He could hear tuneless singing coming from outside on the front street and echoing up over the tenement roofs as some night straggler from an office Christmas party informed the world that he had done it his way. It brought a smile to Gavin’s lips. ‘Sure you did,’ he whispered, ‘Thirty years with Standard Life and you did it your way …’
NINE
‘Trish, I need some normal human cells. Any chance of getting some before the holidays?’ asked Gavin, who had been waiting outside the Cell Culture Suite since 8.45 a.m.
A look of dismay came over the technician’s face. ‘You’re kidding … no, you’re not, you’re serious.’
‘There’s some doubt about the behaviour of normal cells in the literature; I have to be sure.’
Trish looked uncertain. ‘Shit, Gavin, we were actually counting on closing down the suite this afternoon and spending the last day just cleaning up and replenishing stock solutions.’
‘I’ll love you forever …’
‘Not sure if that’s a good enough … I’d have to check with the maternity unit to see if a placenta is liable to become available for amnion cells …’
‘Forever and a day?’
Gavin followed Trish into her small office and stood by as she phoned the maternity unit. After a short conversation she said, ‘They are expecting four births this afternoon.’
‘Great.’
Trish broke into a resigned smile. ‘You do realise this means I won’t be going to the Christmas lunch with the girls?’
Gavin saw that she was serious. ‘Shit, I’m sorry, I didn’t realise it was that big a deal. Maybe this is something I could do myself if you pointed me at a book of instructions?’
‘I won’t pretend it’s not tempting to walk off and leave you to it, but primary lines are a bit tricky if you’ve never done them before.’
Gavin grimaced.
‘They’re not like tumour cells which go on dividing forever as long as you feed them and dilute them. Healthy cells have a limited lifespan. We have to prepare them fresh each time and break down the tissue into component cells before we can even start.’
Gavin sighed. ‘I’m sorry. I should have thought. I really didn’t realise there was so much to it …’
‘Having said that,’ said Trish hesitantly. ‘It’s not impossible … providing the maternity unit comes up with the goods early enough. If they do, I’ll set you up a batch before I go off.’
‘You’re an absolute ace person; I really won’t forget this.’
‘Yeah, yeah … I’ll give you a call when they’re ready or leave a message on your desk saying where you can find them.’
When Gavin returned upstairs to the lab he found a note on his desk from Frank Simmons, asking if he was coming to Christmas dinner or not. He had
Feeling mentally exhausted, he got back into bed, switched out the light and drew his knees up to his chest in an effort to get warm. The difference between tumour cells and healthy tissue cells was … division control. The tumour cells were undergoing uncontrolled cell division while the healthy cells were not … the tumour cells were showing membrane change but the healthy cells were not. There had to be a link – something that tied in with why Grumman Schalk had thought they had a specific drug against tumour cells. They must have seen tumour cells dying in the lab but healthy cells surviving. He would have to check out the effects of Valdevan on normal cells for himself. He couldn’t just rely on old photographs. He would set up that experiment at the same time as running the last of the Valdevan concentration tests. He would go down to the tissue culture suite first thing in the morning and see about getting some healthy cell cultures.
He could hear tuneless singing coming from outside on the front street and echoing up over the tenement roofs as some night straggler from an office Christmas party informed the world that he had done it his way. It brought a smile to Gavin’s lips. ‘Sure you did,’ he whispered, ‘Thirty years with Standard Life and you did it your way …’
NINE
‘Trish, I need some normal human cells. Any chance of getting some before the holidays?’ asked Gavin, who had been waiting outside the Cell Culture Suite since 8.45 a.m.
A look of dismay came over the technician’s face. ‘You’re kidding … no, you’re not, you’re serious.’
‘There’s some doubt about the behaviour of normal cells in the literature; I have to be sure.’
Trish looked uncertain. ‘Shit, Gavin, we were actually counting on closing down the suite this afternoon and spending the last day just cleaning up and replenishing stock solutions.’
‘I’ll love you forever …’
‘Not sure if that’s a good enough … I’d have to check with the maternity unit to see if a placenta is liable to become available for amnion cells …’
‘Forever and a day?’
Gavin followed Trish into her small office and stood by as she phoned the maternity unit. After a short conversation she said, ‘They are expecting four births this afternoon.’
‘Great.’
Trish broke into a resigned smile. ‘You do realise this means I won’t be going to the Christmas lunch with the girls?’
Gavin saw that she was serious. ‘Shit, I’m sorry, I didn’t realise it was that big a deal. Maybe this is something I could do myself if you pointed me at a book of instructions?’
‘I won’t pretend it’s not tempting to walk off and leave you to it, but primary lines are a bit tricky if you’ve never done them before.’
Gavin grimaced.
‘They’re not like tumour cells which go on dividing forever as long as you feed them and dilute them. Healthy cells have a limited lifespan. We have to prepare them fresh each time and break down the tissue into component cells before we can even start.’
Gavin sighed. ‘I’m sorry. I should have thought. I really didn’t realise there was so much to it …’
‘Having said that,’ said Trish hesitantly. ‘It’s not impossible … providing the maternity unit comes up with the goods early enough. If they do, I’ll set you up a batch before I go off.’
‘You’re an absolute ace person; I really won’t forget this.’
‘Yeah, yeah … I’ll give you a call when they’re ready or leave a message on your desk saying where you can find them.’
When Gavin returned upstairs to the lab he found a note on his desk from Frank Simmons, asking if he was coming to Christmas dinner or not. He had
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