PROCAPSID Blog
Viktor Mikhailovich Zhdanov was a virologist born in Ukraine (Shtepino). Thanks to him Variola virus, the causative agent of Smallpox, is now eradicated globally and no longer kills anyone. However instead, there are people killing each other in a nonsensical war in Ukraine, which is extremely sad. Even though there is nothing I can do about it I am very sorry that this is happening, and my heart goes out to the people at my school in Poland that are from Ukraine or have relatives there. Our countries borders are open to any people in need. Unfortunately, there is currently no vaccine against guns.
February 25, 2022
I have just returned from a small science conference that was held in my school, we had some nice Professors talking about targeted therapeutics, the Human Genome Project, and synchrotrons... Two of my friends and I also got to present, and if You are interested, here is the link to my presentation on the topic of Virology in general, that was aimed at trying to dispel fears around the word “Virus” and at showing people how phage therapy and oncolytic viruses can do good.
February 19, 2022
Something that bugs me a bit in science communication to the public, is that often the diagrams and illustrations used are either accurate but ugly, or visually appealing but factually, not so much. Take for example the most popular 3d render of SARS-CoV-2, with a gray phospholipid bilayer and red peplomers on its surface along with orange accessory proteins. It has a mistake – the spike protein does not have a visible stalk elevating it above the PLB. Granted, this diagram was made by the CDC, but the virus does not care and still possesses a different structure.
October 2, 2021