Developing a hybrid CMV Vaccine Cytomegalovirus (CMV), upon entering the cell, releases a highly evolved protein arsenal to disrupt cellular defenses. One strategy to defeat the virus in humans may be to use a murine version of the pathogen, MCMV. Interspecies infections are inefficient because the mouse virus is attuned to infecting mice and is blocked in humans at several steps in its life cycle, especially at PML bodies in the nucleus. By adding certain human genes, researchers may be

A Long Shot on Cytomegalovirus An unlikely vaccinologist fights an unlikely foe. By Alan Dove ARTICLE EXTRAS Developing a hybrid CMV vaccine An economic boost for an unlikely target Two sides or more: from scientist to sculptorSlideshow: the artwork of Gerd MaulPodcast: A vaccine for cytomegalovirusProgress toward combating a rare but costly diseaseGerd Maul was frustrated. It was 1989, and the German-born researcher at Philadelphia's Wistar

An Economic Boost for an Unlikely Target By Alan Dove FEATURE ARTICLE A Long Shot on CytomegalovirusAn unlikely vaccinologist fights an unlikely foe. ARTICLE EXTRAS Developing a hybrid CMV vaccine Two sides or more: from scientist to sculptorSlideshow: the artwork of Gerd MaulPodcast: A vaccine for cytomegalovirusProgress toward combating a rare but costly diseaseEven though the National Academy of Science listed it as a top priority in

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Gerd Maul's artwork changes from one thing to another in the blink of an eye -- and so does its creator

Image: Marlene Viola Synthetic peptides, generally less than 20 amino acids in length, are essential reagents for a wide range of studies and one of the fundamental tools of proteomics researchers. Applications include generating antibodies against specific epitopes, eluting specific proteins from affinity columns, testing the biological functions of enzymes, and screening for potential drug targets. Synthetic peptides are the protein equivalent of synthetic oligonucleotides, and to some exten

At the Society for Amateur Scientists meeting in Philadelphia, June 28-30, amateur microscopist Ely Silk demonstrated a low-cost solution that could bring fluorescence microscopy to laboratories and classrooms that could never have afforded the technology before. Capable of being used with virtually any microscope, the basic apparatus can be assembled from inexpensive components by anyone able to use a soldering iron. Fluorescence microscopy exposes a specimen to a specific wavelength of ligh