The natural genetic instability of HIV is this organism’s best weapon. By generating mutations and increasing its diversity, the virus is able to fool its host’s immune system and has made the formulation of a vaccine so far impossible. However, US researchers have come up with a new computer algorithm that will soon allow the production of efficient HIV vaccines.

This new method elucidates and analyzes the variation found in different strains of the virus by describing the molecules able to elicit an immune response (immunogens) that have several forms of variable elements of the virus. The antigens then condense the variation found in many HIV strains into molecules long enough to serve as vaccine immunogens.

These immunogens reflect the diversity of HIV mutants and should be able to produce immune responses from the host against most forms of the virus, thus generating new hope for the millions of HIV-infected patients worldwide.

Source: Public Library of Science

The brainiacs over Texas A&M University (Remember the movie “Drumline”?) has made a huge breakthrough in affordable DNA scanning technology that rivals the accuracy of larger lab machines.

The device has no moving parts and costs just $10 to make. It runs polymerase chain reactions (PCRs), to generate billions of identical copies of a DNA strand, in as little as 20 minutes. This is much faster than the machines currently in use, which take several hours.

Source: New Scientist

A recent study from scientists at Stanford University, California, USA, reveals that younger people are more afraid of losing than the older generations. Could this simply confirm that wisdom of age is a reality? In any case, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and self-reported tests led to the conclusion that seniors don’t seem to mind losing, regardless of the game – as long as it’s not strip poker, let’s hope!

Losing at the races or bingo may not be such a problem for older people, since those over 65 are less upset by loss than twenty-somethings. But they are just as glad of a win, new brain scans suggest.

Source: New Scientist

When you see a human individual – or any other animal – there is actually much more than meets the eye. The number of microorganisms on and inside us has been estimated to outnumber our own cells by a factor of ten. This delicate ecosystems is however endangered by the modern habit of washing too much, at least in industrialized countries where a variety of soaps, shower gels, or deodorants are being over-used by many. Acne, eczema, irritable bowel syndrome, various allergies, and a host of other diseases are thought to have their origin in the bacterial genocide that people commit when they abuse cleaning products on themselves or their children.

The use of probiotics (tablets containing lyophilized bacteria) helps in the treatment of various illnesses caused by the drastic reduction of the natural microbe population. The best treatment, though, should be in the prevention of the mass killing of our microbial community and in the knowledge that bactericidal soaps should only be used in operating theaters. The old saying may say that “cleanliness is next to godliness,” but we should remember that we are no gods and that, as mere humans, we need those bugs to maintain a good quality of life.

Source: Wired

A trainee psychiatrist and a film director found out that the humor in cartoon series The Simpsons can help people face various mental conditions more effectively. These include ailments such as depression, phobias, alcoholism, and a few others. The advantage of the series seems to be the lack of political correctness and the fact that the characters, when faced to mental health issues, do not hesitate to “call a spade a spade,” just like in real life.

So if you’re feeling down, just turn on The Simpsons and enjoy some of Homer’s “homemade Prozac,” a mixture of chocolate and ice cream.

Source: ABC Science Online