Page 19 - Winter2020

In the case of the novel coronavirus, every discussed. This is the equivalent of isolating Instead of
single published photograph we have seen show- caffeine from coffee. working with
ing the “isolated” virus shows no such thing. Instead of working with pure virus, how-
Instead, it shows tissue with a number of dots, ever, researchers commonly continue to use pure virus,
usually with an arrow pointing to the so-called the supernatant, which contains all kinds of however,
coronavirus. If you see tissue in the photograph, molecules and particles. In other words, in- researchers
by definition it’s not isolated. An example of stead of doing a genetic analysis of the isolated
such a photograph comes from “Virus Isola- virus, they do genetic analysis on the mess of commonly
tion from the First Patient with SARS-CoV-2 compounds in the supernatant. continue to
in Korea,” published February 24, 2020 in the Now, to get enough “virus” to use ex- use the
Journal of Korean Medical Science (Figure 1, perimentally, virologists must grow it in a
previous page). Although the authors claimed biological medium such as an animal (or at supernatant,
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to have isolated the virus, the photographs least cells from an animal). Unlike bacteria, which
they published show “virus” structures inside which can be grown in Petri dishes, viruses contains all
and outside a cell (indicated by arrows); they are not alive and can only “grow” in other liv-
do not show isolated virus. In comparison, ing cells. However, virologists do not transfer kinds of
you can see a properly isolated “virus” in the the supernatant to healthy tissue, but to tissue molecules
electron microscopy image of the chickenpox that has been poisoned with strong antibiotics and particles.
“virus” shown in Figure 2, below. (By the way, and starved of nutrients (using what’s called a
although health officials claim that chickenpox “minimum-nutrient medium”). They do this
is “highly contagious,” no studies have shown to make sure that what is left is only viruses
that exposing people to isolated chickenpox and not bacteria. Moreover, the main type of
virus makes them sick.) tissue used is kidney cells from various species
(often monkey kidney cells called Vero cells)
MORE ON THE SUPERNATANT or lung cancer cells. When researchers do this,
Today’s virologists use the supernatant— the “viruses” seem to multiply, allowing them
the liquid obtained after filtration or sometimes to sell the resultant mess of “viruses,” particles,
centrifugation—processes that remove bacteria, poisons, dead tissue and cellular debris—called
fungi and other larger material. This is what “cultured” virus—to other researchers as
they refer to as “purification.” However, this samples of “purified” or “isolated” virus for
is like filtering the grounds out of coffee to get use in studies.
caffeine; your aim may be to study caffeine’s By the way, the CDC has published guide-
effects, but there are hundreds or thousands of lines on “transport medium” for viruses. Trans-
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other compounds in the coffee, so you will still port medium is what they use to inoculate the
need to isolate the caffeine. starved tissue, which then grows the “virus.”
What virus researchers ought to do after The three main ingredients (“reagents”) are
obtaining the supernatant is to put it in a “su- fetal bovine serum (extracted from still-living
crose density centrifuge column,” which spins fetal calves and preserved with antifungals,
out the various compounds into bands. One of among other poisons) along with two highly
these bands will contain the pure virus, which toxic antibiotics, amphotericin (affectionately
can then be photographed and analyzed as called “ampho-terrible”) and gentamicin. This

FIGURE 2. Properly isolated chickenpox “virus”

WINTER 2020 Wise Traditions 17