After Addison Blythe and Qin Wei returned to school from the hotel, the sun was shining brightly, and the breeze rustled the leaves on the campus. The two walked side by side on the campus path for a while, then smiled at each other and went their separate ways. Qin Wei's steps were brisk, and her mood was particularly happy. From time to time, the sweet scene of her getting along with Addison last night appeared in her mind. She wanted to buy some intimate little items for herself and Addison, so she hummed a little song and stepped into the dormitory.
As soon as she entered the door, she was caught by Emma like a little detective. Emma had a sly smile on her face, like a cat that stole fish, and her eyes were shining with gossip. She teased: "Tsk, tsk, tsk, where did someone go last night? Did he do something bad behind our backs?" The tone was long, and the word "bad" was deliberately said particularly loudly. Qin Wei heard this, and instantly, she felt as if she was cast a spell. A certain memory suddenly emerged in her mind, and in an instant, her cheeks flushed, like the clouds in the sky dyed by the sunset. She glared at Emma with a reproachful look, and said calmly: "Go away, you are just guessing." But her red ears betrayed her inner shyness.
At the same time, Addison Bryce had already stepped into the laboratory. The laboratory was filled with the familiar smell of chemical reagents, which was the battlefield atmosphere he was most familiar with. After a long time of leisure, his eyes were full of concentration and determination at this moment. It was time to devote himself to the business. The so-called business was actually to use single-base gene editing technology to edit the genes of macrophages. He already had the correct gene code in his hand, just like holding the key to open the treasure door, and the subsequent operation should be as simple as following the map.
He gently picked up the reagent tube from the experimental rack, took out the macrophage sample, and placed it under the microscope. When he leaned in to observe through the eyepiece, his expression froze instantly, and a hint of surprise and annoyance flashed across his eyes that were originally full of expectation. Those macrophages that should have been full of vitality were now dead, showing a dead state under the microscope.
"Oh, I almost forgot that the life cycle of macrophages is only two to three weeks. I received this sample more than ten days ago, and the time is almost up." Addison Bryce muttered softly, with a little self-blame in his voice. He quickly adjusted his state and immediately contacted Professor Miller. After the call was connected, Addison politely explained the situation to Professor Miller. Professor Miller gently expressed his understanding on the other end of the phone and asked him to come to the laboratory to collect new samples.
Addison Bryce hurried to Professor Miller's laboratory and applied for a batch of HIV samples and macrophage samples again. Holding the precious samples, he returned to his laboratory carefully as if he was holding a rare treasure, and then plunged into the busyness. Although the efficiency of gene editing using single-base gene editing technology is far less than that of the gene evolution system, he does not need to conduct in-depth research at the moment, just follow the example, and with his solid professional skills, the speed is not slow.
In the laboratory, the humming sound of instruments is endless, and time passes quietly in the intense work. Ten hours passed in a flash, and Addison Bryce had successfully transformed thousands of macrophages. He looked at these results that condensed his hard work, with a gratified smile on his face, and named these new macrophages "new macrophages". He divided them into twelve groups and placed them in ten culture dishes.
Under an electron microscope, these new macrophages look no different from the original macrophages at first glance, with round cell morphology and slightly flickering cell membranes. However, in theory, they have the ability to identify and eliminate HIV, and can even accurately identify and eliminate cells infected with HIV. As for the actual effect, it still needs to be verified through experiments.
"Well, let's try putting some HIV in." Addison Bryce carefully introduced HIV into the ten culture dishes, staring at the screen of the electron microscope and observing them intently. Through the electron microscope, Addison Bryce was pleasantly surprised to find that these new macrophages did not disappoint him. Once they encounter HIV, they will take the initiative to attack like a well-trained soldier who detects the enemy. Macrophages are about 60 microns in diameter, which is the largest cell in the human body, while HIV is only about 120 nanometers in diameter (1 micron = 1000 nanometers). In this way, macrophages devour HIV like sharks preying on shrimps, one bite at a time, very easily.
Not long after, under Addison Bryce's close attention, a new macrophage successfully devoured dozens of HIV. Witnessing this scene, Addison Bryce felt an irrepressible excitement in his heart, and his heart was pounding in his chest, because it meant that the experiment was already half successful. Next, as long as the new macrophage can decompose the HIV that has been swallowed into the body, the whole experiment can be declared a success.
Normally, after HIV invades macrophages, it can kill macrophages in just 4-6 minutes and then break out of the body. Therefore, if the new macrophage is still alive after 6 minutes, it means that it is very likely that it has successfully decomposed the HIV that it has swallowed.
Addison Bryce waited patiently. The laboratory was very quiet, and only the slight sound of the instrument running and his slightly rapid breathing could be heard. 1 minute, 2 minutes... Every second that passed seemed to be infinitely stretched. At 5 minutes, he felt that his heartbeat was about to rise to his throat. Finally, 6 minutes passed, and the new macrophage was still safe and sound in the microscope field of view, and no HIV came out of its body.
"Great, this new macrophage is still safe and sound, and no HIV has come out of it." Addison Bryce was immersed in joy and excitement. He couldn't help but wave his fist, with a bright smile on his face.
However, the experiment has not yet come to an end, he still has to cut open this new macrophage to find out the specific situation inside the cell. He carefully operated the precision instrument to cut open the new macrophage. After observing the internal situation of the cut new macrophage through an electron microscope, Addison Bryce was in a particularly good mood. No HIV was detected inside the cell, which means that HIV has been successfully decomposed! This new macrophage is fully capable of defeating HIV!
It was already past eleven o'clock in the evening, and the campus outside the laboratory had already fallen asleep, with only the street lights emitting a dim light. Addison Bryce also felt a little tired, stretched his waist, moved his sore shoulders, and returned to the dormitory. He simply cooked a bowl of instant noodles, and the steaming noodles exuded an alluring aroma in the quiet dormitory. He ate it up in a hurry, and then went to bed to rest, his mind still full of thoughts about tomorrow's experimental plan.
The next morning, the sun shone through the gaps in the curtains of the dormitory and sprinkled on Addison Bryce's face. He woke up early, full of energy, and rushed to the laboratory without stopping to continue his experiments. This time, he wanted to determine whether the new macrophages could engulf and destroy cells infected with HIV.
In the laboratory, he carried out the experimental operation in an orderly manner. Six hours later, Addison Bryce watched the HIV and HIV-infected T cells in the culture dish being engulfed and destroyed by the new macrophages. He was so excited that he could hardly control himself, and his heart was surging. His hands trembled slightly, and tears flashed in his eyes. These were tears of joy for success after hardships.
From this moment on, he could confidently announce to the world: "I, Addison Blythe, have successfully conquered AIDS!" He could fully imagine that once this news was made public, it would cause an uproar around the world. For a long time, AIDS, which has troubled countless top scientists around the world and made them rack their brains but helpless, was actually cured by him! Not only that, this treatment method and idea can also be widely used in the treatment of other diseases, such as cancer. Macrophages also have the ability to engulf cancer cells. If single-base gene editing technology is used to modify the genes of macrophages so that they can accurately identify and eliminate cancer cells, then cancer can naturally be cured. There is no doubt that this is definitely a major event that can attract great attention from the world. However, just when Addison Blythe was full of joy, he suddenly thought of a thorny problem. The method of treating AIDS that he developed is completely different from traditional drug treatments. Most of the drugs on the market today are chemical drugs, which are difficult to imitate, but the new macrophages he used to treat HIV are fundamentally different. This kind of cell has the ability to divide. As long as a sample is obtained, it can achieve unlimited proliferation. Even an ordinary college student with knowledge of biology and a small laboratory can carry out mass production.
This means that he is very likely to only gain fame, but it is difficult to obtain rich economic returns.
As for applying for a patent? This does not seem to be very realistic. Although medical patents are common nowadays, some countries do not attach great importance to patents. Generic drugs are rampant and even flow to all parts of the world. What's more, the number of AIDS patients in the world is nearly 40 million. What a huge market! By then, even in other countries, I am afraid that countless people will join the ranks of generic drug production for the sake of profit, and it will be impossible to effectively curb it.
"Can I only have a reputation but not make money?" Addison Bryce murmured to himself, full of unwillingness. He sat on a chair in the laboratory, frowning, with a hint of confusion and struggle in his eyes. He also longed for wealth. He hoped to build a top laboratory of his own, buy a car and a house, and make himself and his family live a rich and worry-free life.
"This money should be what I deserve. I must do my best to protect my interests." Addison Bryce made up his mind secretly, and then fell into deep thought. The laboratory was very quiet, with only his heavy breathing. Suddenly, his eyes lit up and he shouted excitedly: "The genetic technology I have mastered may be able to perfectly solve this problem." The light of hope rekindled in his eyes, as if he had seen a bright road to success and wealth.