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The Birth of a Virus, Photographed for First Time
Posted by Mark Wilson at 5:40 AM on May 28, 2008
We've long used various methods, such as cell freezing, to analyse the rise of viruses as they convert happy cells into destruction production facilities. But now, for the first time ever, scientists have found a technique to watch viruses grow in real time. As Rockefeller University virologist explained, "This is the first time anyone has seen a virus particle being born."
The method uses what we assume is a semi-standard optical microscope. However, as opposed to shining light straight-on at the cells, the light penetrates from a sharp angle allowing the close study of the cell's membrane (this particular cell is being infected with HIV). In addition, some particles appear to be fluorescently tagged. A single virion (mature virus) was recorded to take 5-6 minutes to be produced. [Nature via Wired]
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
dvheil
Posted 12:57 AM 29/5/08
Sorry Giz...someone tricked you guys. People like myself have been doing this for years with fluorescent tags like green fluorescent protein (GFP). The only difference here is that they're using a new microscopy/imaging technique. Nothing special here...keep it moving!
dvheil
CarrollArion
Posted 1:17 PM 28/5/08
l've always wondered what the hell was happening inside me... great.
CarrollArion
shamoononon
Posted 12:07 PM 28/5/08
@Barry_Ovaltine: Some things never get old... unfortunately that doesn't include me. :: sighs ::
shamoononon
Mandatory_Field
Posted 10:24 AM 28/5/08
"Like a virus, shot for the very first time
Like a vi-i-i-i-rus, That's growing, in re-al ti-ia-i-ime"
Mandatory_Field
MagnoliaBoy
Posted 8:39 AM 28/5/08
@madlogik: That's some Big Boobies right there son.
MagnoliaBoy
madlogik
Posted 7:51 AM 28/5/08
(warning: this message may contain material unsuitable for people under the legal age in their respective countries. If you are under 18, please skip right to the next comment ... unless it's offensive too ... but hey kid ... you shouldn't be on the net alone anyways so screw this)!
... totally unrelated ..
but ...
when I wrote my last comment and added the punchline (remember kids...) ...
It got me into a mind blitz to find a "statement" that the net says as being true...
my first try was to google for: "we've got the biggest boobs on the net" ...
witch got me to THIS youtube video:
+ Watch video
(you probably don't want to see the biggest "natural" boobs... )
LMAO! felt good ;)
madlogik
madlogik
Posted 7:45 AM 28/5/08
@vpiech: This sounds like a competent answer ! Good Job! (I guess) ...
Remember kids: EVERYTHING you read on the net is true!
madlogik
logruszed
Posted 7:15 AM 28/5/08
I prefer the D.W. Griffith version with all the heroic Klansmen running in to rescue the white cells.
logruszed
itscarmennnn
Posted 7:03 AM 28/5/08
@shamoononon: no no no i was missing you!
itscarmennnn
MarsVolta
Posted 6:58 AM 28/5/08
look at those sexy amino acids mmmmm
MarsVolta
Barry_Ovaltine
Posted 6:50 AM 28/5/08
@johnnyabnormal: I think that video was the first thing I ever downloaded off the internet.
Barry_Ovaltine
wolfenstein-3d
Posted 6:45 AM 28/5/08
OH CRAP! Where did you find that? I didn't know any security cameras were watching me!
wolfenstein-3d
johnnyabnormal
Posted 6:39 AM 28/5/08
@wolfenstein-3d: Whatever you do, don't resort to this!
+ Watch video
johnnyabnormal
wolfenstein-3d
Posted 6:35 AM 28/5/08
@johnnyabnormal: Hey! don't talk about cubes, i'm in one right now too.
@shamoononon: i feel ya.
wolfenstein-3d
vpiech
Posted 6:33 AM 28/5/08
@qbrad
It is TI-RFM (total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy), using the physical phenomenon that total reflection at the the glass-water interface generates a standing wave that decays exponentially with distance. Thus it can excite a single virion that close enough to the glass-water interface without generating much background from other fluorescent virions because they are too far away to be excited by the light.
@Mark Wilson
It is "Rockefeller University"
vpiech
johnnyabnormal
Posted 6:28 AM 28/5/08
@shamoononon: Cubicle? Muhahahah!
+ Watch video
johnnyabnormal
wolfenstein-3d
Posted 6:28 AM 28/5/08
That cell has to be PISSED, you just gave it HIV.
Rap of the day:
My name is HIV, and I came from a monkey, I spread quicker than the legs of that girl from MTV.
Wanna get rid of me, next time wear a condom below, cuz i'm turning into aids and your fucked fo sho.
:)
wolfenstein-3d
shamoononon
Posted 6:23 AM 28/5/08
@carmen89: OOOPS, how pig headed was I, you may have been referring to the Streisand. How dare I take her fire.
shamoononon
froggy
Posted 6:23 AM 28/5/08
and here I thought that was what Spore was all about. Maxim, you failed again.
froggy
vertigo
Posted 6:22 AM 28/5/08
I could have sworn I've seen better pictures in my highschool text book 10 years ago
vertigo
shamoononon
Posted 6:21 AM 28/5/08
@carmen89: I was giz'd out after the smoking thread. Also, the website isn't as appealing when I'm not stuck in a cubical, lol.
shamoononon
qbrad
Posted 6:10 AM 28/5/08
@qbrad: Not confocal. It's a Fluorescence scope, most likely with DIC.
qbrad
qbrad
Posted 6:06 AM 28/5/08
HIV. No virus needed. Redundancy redundancy is not necessary.
Oh, and it looks like DIC or a confocal microscope.
qbrad
Rabid Penguin
Posted 6:04 AM 28/5/08
Oooh, fun monkey disease.
Rabid Penguin
Barry_Ovaltine
Posted 6:03 AM 28/5/08
And here I was, thinking these were the pictures from Mars of the bacterial life in the soil.
(gotta start reading headlines...)
Barry_Ovaltine
Kaiser-Machead
Posted 6:02 AM 28/5/08
Come and see
HIV
A little twinkly galaxy.
Kaiser-Machead
92BuickLeSabre
Posted 5:56 AM 28/5/08
Talk about a viral video.
92BuickLeSabre
MagnoliaBoy
Posted 5:54 AM 28/5/08
@MagnoliaBoy: 'They're', shit before the Grammer Nazis throw me in the Gulag... Touch Typer, words just spell themselves sometimes...
MagnoliaBoy
middy
Posted 5:54 AM 28/5/08
It got shiny! [golf clap]
middy
CatPope
Posted 5:54 AM 28/5/08
Awesome.
CatPope
itscarmennnn
Posted 5:53 AM 28/5/08
@shamoononon: ..CURSE YOU BARBARAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
i miss you :( where have you been?!
itscarmennnn
MagnoliaBoy
Posted 5:53 AM 28/5/08
Really this is a timelapse of a Cell being Infected by a virus, not a Virus being replicated. There just too small, especially HIV.
MagnoliaBoy
tameanaka
Posted 5:51 AM 28/5/08
Tasty!
tameanaka
shamoononon
Posted 5:50 AM 28/5/08
@carmen89: That would be a bacterial infection, like you beloved Barbara Streisand.
shamoononon
ripfire4
Posted 5:48 AM 28/5/08
Awwww how cute. Who's the father?
ripfire4
IVPPITER
Posted 5:48 AM 28/5/08
boom. amazing.
IVPPITER
itscarmennnn
Posted 5:46 AM 28/5/08
See what happens when you don't clean behind your ears!
itscarmennnn