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The smallest thing that we can see with a 'light' microscope is about 500 nanometers. A nanometer is one-billionth (that's 1,000,000,000th) of a meter. So the smallest thing that you can see with a light microscope is about 200 times smaller than the width of a hair.
Bacteria are about 1000 nanometers in size.
Escherichia coli is a typical gram-negative rod bacterium. Its dimensions are those of a cylinder 1.0-2.0 micrometers long, with radius about 0.5 micrometers.
You can see it with a light microscope.
Escherichia coli is a typical gram-negative rod bacterium. Its dimensions are those of a cylinder 1.0-2.0 micrometers long, with radius about 0.5 micrometers.
You can see it with a light microscope.
Each SARS-CoV-2 virion is approximately 50–200 nanometres in diameter.
So... how do they find it in the first place? And once they have it, how do they "handle it"?
And after they have a "specimen", how can they see it and what are they seeing?
(Answers below)
So... how do they find it in the first place? And once they have it, how do they "handle it"?
And after they have a "specimen", how can they see it and what are they seeing?
(Answers below)
CoV was cultured for the first time in human embryonic (a.k.a. "unwanted clumps of cells" and "fetus") tracheal organ cultures by Tyrrell and Bynoe in 1965, named as ‘corona’ due to crown-like appearance of the surface projections on electron microscopy.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2166670/pdf/brmedj02397-0043.pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2166670/pdf/brmedj02397-0043.pdf
In order to "isolate the virus", lab techs take a wet (living) sample from a human donor and attempt to "culture it" in Vero cells.
What are Vero cells? Glad you asked. They're green monkey epithelial cells. Yep, they come from monkeys. Why is that important?
What are Vero cells? Glad you asked. They're green monkey epithelial cells. Yep, they come from monkeys. Why is that important?
Because monkeys aren't human. and the cell culture, whether kept alive from the original monkey donor, or else created in labs time and again, can have genetic and inherent expressions of viruses.
In fact, the reason this species was selected is that a chromosome deletion
In fact, the reason this species was selected is that a chromosome deletion
results in the monkey tissue not producing interferons. Interferons are supposed to signal immune system response in neighboring cells- meaning the monkey tissues are "more likely to be infected" and more likely to be hiding epigenetic trigger switches. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vero_cell
But here's how they allegedly isolated the first Korean victim of SARS-CoV-2:
"The patient’s oropharyngeal samples were obtained by using UTM™kit containing 3 mL of viral transport media (Copan Diagnostics Inc., Murrieta, CA)." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4729515/
"The patient’s oropharyngeal samples were obtained by using UTM™kit containing 3 mL of viral transport media (Copan Diagnostics Inc., Murrieta, CA)." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4729515/
Then they supposedly cut the Vero cell mono-layer into a 65nm slice (that's remarkably thin. who makes the apparatus? who trains people to use it? how is it calibrated?)
ok, sure.
Then they look at it through a Transmission Electron Microscope.
ok, sure.
Then they look at it through a Transmission Electron Microscope.
Electron microscopes have a range of disadvantages:
-They are extremely expensive.
-Sample preparation is often much more elaborate. It is often necessary to coat the specimen with a very thin layer of metal (such as gold). The metal is able to reflect the electrons.
-They are extremely expensive.
-Sample preparation is often much more elaborate. It is often necessary to coat the specimen with a very thin layer of metal (such as gold). The metal is able to reflect the electrons.
-The sample must be completely dry. This makes it IMPOSSIBLE to observe living specimens.
-It is not possible to observe moving specimens (they are dead).
Which makes me wonder what we're actually looking at. If it isn't moving, how do we know "when" we're seeing what we see?
-It is not possible to observe moving specimens (they are dead).
Which makes me wonder what we're actually looking at. If it isn't moving, how do we know "when" we're seeing what we see?
-It is not possible to observe color. Electrons do not possess a color. The image is only black/white. Sometimes the image is colored artificially to give a better visual impression.
Which makes me wonder why we see so many colored images of viruses.
(Think "Red40 food dye")
Which makes me wonder why we see so many colored images of viruses.
(Think "Red40 food dye")
-They require more training and experience in identifying artifacts that may have been introduced during the sample preparation process.
-The energy of the electron beam is very high. The sample is therefore exposed to high radiation, and therefore not able to live.
-The energy of the electron beam is very high. The sample is therefore exposed to high radiation, and therefore not able to live.
-The space requirements are high. They may need a whole room.
-Maintenance costs are high.
#Gatekeeping is when one Authority, real or imagined, stands in the way of personal pursuits.
None of this work can be done in your garage.
But what about "peer reveiew"?
-Maintenance costs are high.
#Gatekeeping is when one Authority, real or imagined, stands in the way of personal pursuits.
None of this work can be done in your garage.
But what about "peer reveiew"?
How many people do you think are qualified to run one of these machines? How many of those same people are epidemiologists? How many can interpret results? How many can compile data and chart/graph it? How many aren't greatly subsidizing their efforts with "AI data banks"?
