FIVE years ago, New Scientist asked biomedical researchers if they
thought genetic engineering could make a virus or bacterium more virulent than
nature’s worst. They replied that it would be difficult if not impossible, and
would need a colossal research effort. Now it’s clear they forgot one
thing—the unexpected.
As part of a programme to develop a contraceptive vaccine for mice,
researchers in Australia modified a mousepox virus to include the gene for a
chemical called interleukin 4. They hoped IL-4 would boost the animals’ antibody
levels. It may have done, but that’s irrelevant because to the researchers’
surprise…
