• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • WordPress
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
Science Update

Science Update

Sharing Science | Satisfying Curiosity | Debunking BS

  • Spotlights
  • Reality Check
  • Why Is It?
  • Radio Archives
  • Sciup @ School
Home » Radio Archive » Daily Show » Cancer-Killing Viruses

Cancer-Killing Viruses

August 13, 2015
https://podcast.scienceupdate.com/150813_sciup_virus.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window

.BOB HIRSHON (host):

Computer-designed cancer killers. I’m Bob Hirshon and this is Science Update.

Autodesk is a company best known for making software for designing things like buildings and cars. But Autodesk distinguished researcher Andrew Hessel is focused on designing living organisms. One goal is building cancer-killing viruses.

ANDREW HESSEL (Autodesk):

This virus infects the cancer cell, destroys it just through viral replication, releases more virus to go on and infect more cancer cells.

HIRSHON:

But the immune system soon recognizes and attacks the virus, limiting its effectiveness. That’s where computer-designed viruses come in.

HESSEL:

By being able to make synthetic viruses, now we have a digital process whereby we can generate the next virus at the push of a button.

HIRSHON:

Theoretically wave after wave of slightly different viruses could be produced and launched against the cancer until it’s destroyed. I’m Bob Hirshon, for AAAS, the science society. 

bacteriophage CADCAM workflow Jackie Quinn Autodesk
Bacteriophage CADCAM engineering workflow — from electronic code to 3D printed virus particle to genome synthesis and laboratory boot-up. (Jackie Quinn/ Autodesk)

 

Category: Daily Show, Station DownloadTag: Engineering & Technology, Medicine & Health, Microbiology
Previous Post:Predator & Prey Pupils
Next Post:Prosthetic Knees

Sidebar

Radio Program Archives

Want to learn more about the brain? The environment? Here you can browse the topics that come up regularly on Science Update.

Search the Archives

Categories

  • Daily Show
  • Station Download
  • Weekly Show

Find By Tag

  • 2020
  • Acoustics & Sound
  • Aging
  • Animal Behavior
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Astronomy & Space
  • Biology
  • Brain Science
  • Bugs
  • Chemistry
  • Children & Families
  • cicadas
  • Climate & Weather
  • Communications
  • Computer Science
  • Economics & Business
  • Education
  • Energy
  • Engineering & Technology
  • Environment & Conservation
  • Genetics & Evolution
  • Geology
  • Marine Science
  • Materials Science
  • Mathematics
  • Medicine & Health
  • Microbiology
  • Nanotechnology
  • Nutrition & Food Science
  • Paleontology & Dinosaurs
  • Physics
  • Plants & Agriculture
  • Political Science
  • Reality Check
  • Social & Behavioral Sciences
  • Sports & Fitness
  • spotlight
  • Spotlight Bugs
  • Terrorism & War
  • Why Is It? Questions
  • Wildlife
  • Year in Review

Find By Date

Science Update
  • About Science Update
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • YouTube

Recent Posts

Mayan Honeybee hives
House sparrow wearing top hat rides aboard a red fireworks rocket

Copyright © 2023 · Springtail Media LLC · All Rights Reserved · Powered by Pongos