The Science Fiction World of Xueba

Pang Xuelin smiled faintly. He was not as disappointed as Ashford. The release of this test report made him determined to determine the direction of his next research.

Pang Xuelin said: "Let's put aside my personal test report in advance. Next, we mainly need to do two things well. First, we must find out why the T virus in Alice's body changed into an ERV sequence. I will persuade Alice to cooperate with your research work if you find out the principles of biochemistry in the middle. As for the other direction, it is the study of non-coding RNA..."

"Non-coding RNA?"

Spruce and others looked surprised.

Non-transcribed RNA involves the issue of how to control the T virus. In the past six months, the laboratory has mainly studied how the T virus accelerates the metabolic rate of human cells and a series of biochemical reaction mechanisms, and has not made a difference in how to inhibit the T virus.

Pang Xuelin also did not tell everyone about the non-coding RNA.

Pang Xuelin smiled and said: "For the research on the T virus, in addition to figuring out the way it invades the human body and the series of hazards it produces, we also need to find a way to suppress this virus. Everyone should know the phenomenon of gene silencing caused by RNA interference In a sense, the phenomenon of gene silencing is probably a defense mechanism used by organisms to resist transposons or RNA viruses during the evolution of organisms. It is an ancient anti-virus strategy used by organisms. I think To suppress or even eliminate T virus, we can consider starting from this aspect. RNA interference is inextricably linked with non-coding RNA, so our main task in the future is to find out as much as possible the non-coding RNA in the human body. Coding RNAs interact with each other and with proteins, and we used healthy cells, zombies, Alice, and my own healthy cells as research objects."

Spruce and Berkeley looked at each other, and Berkeley pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "This idea is very good. But there are big problems in it."

"what is the problem?"

Pang Xuelin asked curiously.

Berkeley said: "To study the interaction of non-coding RNAs with other non-coding RNAs and proteins in cells, we must have a very deep understanding of proteins. Especially the dynamics of proteins and their intrinsic functions The connection must be done with the instruments in our current laboratory, I am afraid it will be very difficult to achieve."

"Taking protein as an example, although since the crystal structure of hemoglobin was analyzed in the middle of the twentieth century, we have known the spatial structure of many proteins and their complexes. Especially in recent years, with the development of structure analysis methodologies , especially with the rise of structural genomics, we can greatly speed up the analysis of the three-dimensional structure of proteins by means of crystal diffraction, nuclear magnetic resonance, and cryo-electron microscopy."

"However, so far, we still cannot deduce its three-dimensional structure from the primary sequence of the protein, let alone accurately predict its biological function, and it is difficult to accurately understand the function of the protein even under known three-dimensional conditions. The reason is simple, we lack understanding of the time dimension of proteins. Proteins are entities with a certain spatial structure, and their three-dimensional properties, such as the well-known hydrophobic pockets and suit rings, are closely related to their biological functions."

"However, in solution, proteins are in a state of constant motion and change, and in living cells, proteins go through the process of folding, modification, transport and assembly into complexes. The time scale of this movement varies with different proteins, the same protein In different environments, different parts of the same protein are different. For example, the active part of an enzyme is usually more mobile, while the secondary structure part is more rigid. Therefore, like the three-dimensional structure of a protein, the dynamics of a protein is characterized by It plays an equally important role in the process of determining protein function.

"

"Therefore, we must have the ability to observe the dynamic changes of proteins at the atomic level in real time. However, due to the limitations of structural research methods, we can only take pictures of proteins at a certain moment. However, in fact, proteins in solution do not Unlike the description in the crystal structure, which only has a static structure, but contains a dynamic process. From the perspective of physics, under the action of thermal motion, there is a huge protein near the equilibrium structure. Conformational combinations are conformational clusters. It is this conformational cluster that realizes the diversity of protein-ligand binding strength and modes."

"We still lack a clear understanding of how these conformational clusters interact with other proteins, such as the recognition of enzymes and substrates. In addition, after protein translation in eukaryotes, it undergoes peptide chain folding, various modifications, transmembrane transport, Ligand action and degradation process, etc. How will these processes affect the dynamic conformation of proteins, thereby regulating biological functions? Moreover, the time scale of proteins is very wide, from the vibration of chemical bonds, the rotation of side chain groups, to the main chain The movement of domains, the peristalsis of structural domains, and the flipping of the entire protein structure, etc., this process covers a very wide time scale from femtoseconds to kiloseconds. Therefore, we want to observe real-time protein atomic level in the laboratory. There is still a certain degree of difficulty in sports."

Pang Xuelin asked curiously: "Isn't it possible to use nuclear magnetic resonance technology? I remember that protein dynamics from picoseconds to nanoseconds can be observed through conventional relaxation experimental techniques, and protein dynamics can be observed through CPMG relaxation discrete technology, paramagnetic relaxation enhancement and other technical means. Movements on the scale of microseconds to milliseconds, combined with methods such as hydrogen-deuterium exchange, can also detect movements on the scale of seconds to thousands of seconds..."

Berkeley shook his head and said with a wry smile: "Professor Pang, you only know one thing, but not the other, although we have now realized that protein molecules complete the slow process through the thermal equilibrium fluctuations of some of its local atoms on a fast time scale. The movement at the time scale, and even we can know the motion state of some atoms of the protein in the certain time scale, but this kind of observation is still quite limited, and it is still a drop in the bucket for studying the dynamics of the protein as a whole. Now we only Molecular simulation technology can be used to study the precise motion of protein molecules from microseconds to nanoseconds, combined with some assumptions and simplified techniques, even longer time-scale motions can be simulated. But this method only allows us to obtain a certain number of proteins as a whole average features, the question of how individual protein molecules move is still poorly understood..."

Pang Xuelin couldn't help frowning, he didn't expect such a problem to exist.

But it shouldn’t be. With the level shown by Umbrella Corporation, since they can create something like the T virus on the basis of the ancestor virus, it is impossible not to study the dynamics of individual protein molecules. How did they do it? of?

He moved his eyes away from Berkeley, and met Ashford who was sitting in the corner and remained silent.

Ashford shook his head at Pang Xuelin, meaning it was inconvenient to say now.

Pang Xuelin said: "In that case, let's put this aside for now, Dr. Ashford, come with me, I have something to ask you."

Soon, everyone left the laboratory one after another, and Pang Xuelin brought Ashford to his office.

Pang Xuelin said: "Dr. Ashford, how did the umbrella company solve the problem that Professor Berkeley mentioned just now?"

Ashford smiled wryly: "The various cutting-edge experimental instruments and equipment inside the Umbrella Company are much higher than those of the outside world. If we want to study non-coding RNA and its relationship with proteins at the atomic scale, I am afraid it will be too late." You have to add a dynamic APT to the lab."

"Dynamic APT?"

Pang Xuelin looked at Ashford with some puzzlement.

Ashford: "The so-called APT is the atom probe tomography technology in materials science. It can confirm the type of atoms and intuitively reconstruct their spatial positions, and relatively realistically display the three-dimensional spatial distribution of atoms of different elements in materials. , has become an analysis and testing method with the highest spatial resolution. Dynamic APT uses such a probe to observe the movement of protein molecules in real time, and this kind of equipment is only available in umbrella companies.”

Pang Xuelin was taken aback for a moment, a little dumbfounded. He didn't expect that he wanted to study the method of killing the T virus, and the equipment needed to get support from the umbrella company.

"However, how can I get Spencer to willingly send me a dynamic APT?"

Pang Xuelin frowned in thought.

At this moment, the electricity on the desk suddenly rang.

Pang Xuelin picked up the phone.

Claire's voice came from the other end of the phone: "Professor Pang, a man named Albert Wesker from the Umbrella Company said he wanted to see you."

Pang Xuelin was slightly taken aback, and quickly got up and said, "Okay, I'll go back to the ground right away."

"What's wrong?"

Ashford asked curiously.

Pang Xuelin laughed and said, "Albert Wesker is here, maybe I will be able to solve the dynamic APT problem soon."

...

Returning to the ground from the laboratory, Pang Xuelin went straight to the apron.

Today's Kempten base has undergone considerable changes compared to half a year ago.

The prefabricated houses in the base and the construction of water, power grid and heating have been completed.

The power facilities mainly rely on a small mobile molten salt nuclear reactor provided by the umbrella company, which is equivalent to a small mobile phone and power bank, which can fully meet the living needs of more than 10,000 people in the Kempten base.

The construction of the defensive wall around the base has also come to an end. The area surrounded by the defensive wall is about 2.5 square kilometers. The living area only occupies one-fifth of the total area of ​​the base. The rest of the area is basically composed of farmland and pastures. host.

Schools, police stations, hospitals and other public service units have also restarted.

In addition, there are public canteens, public baths and other facilities in the base.

According to Pang Xuelin's plan, after one year, the base will be basically self-sufficient, and it will be able to completely break away from its dependence on the umbrella company.

At this time, on the tarmac, Claire was arranging for people to unload the cargo from the helicopter.

A man who looked to be in his twenties, wearing sunglasses and combing his hair meticulously was waiting patiently.

Seeing Pang Xuelin approaching, the man turned his gaze to Pang Xuelin with a look of scrutiny in his eyes.

Pang Xuelin stretched out his hand and said with a smile, "Mr. Albert, I am Pang Xuelin."

"Mr. Pang, hello, I'm Albert Wesker, entrusted by Mr. Spencer, I'm here to take a look at the situation at the Kempten base."

Albert and Pang Xuelin shook hands and said calmly.

"It really is him!"

Pang Xuelin thought to himself, but on the surface he remained calm and said, "Mr. Albert, welcome to the Kempten base. I need to show you around the base first."

Spencer's three men, Alex Wesker, Albert Wesker and William Birkin, William Birkin and got involved with Mascu, Alex Wesker again Always staying by Spencer's side, in a sense, Albert Wesker can be regarded as [UUReading 00ks] the number two figure in the umbrella company.

Albert said: "Professor Pang, there is no need to visit the base. I have already taken a look at it on the plane just now. Today, I am here on behalf of Mr. Spencer, mainly for two reasons. The first one, when you and Spencer Mr. Sai is talking about cooperation. The condition is to develop a new generation of virus based on the T virus. I want to know how far the development of that virus has progressed. On the other hand, I am here this time and hope to collect some blood from you And cell samples, the ones I got from you last time have been used up."

Pang Xuelin was slightly taken aback, with a helpless look on his face, and said: "There is no problem in collecting specimens. As for the research and development of new viruses, we have encountered some problems."

"what is the problem?"

Albert said.

Pang Xuelin said: "Mr. Albert, the R\u0026D department of Umbrella Company must have tested the ERV sequence on my body. You probably didn't find the homologous sequence information with the T virus from it?"

Albert nodded.

He came here today mainly because of this problem.

When Pang Xuelin cooperated with Spencer, Spencer hoped to get a new evolutionary direction from Pang Xuelin, and also took blood samples from Pang Xuelin.

As a result, after the scientists of the umbrella company conducted in-depth research on Pang Xuelin's gene sequence, they were unable to find any homologous information related to the T virus from Pang Xuelin at all.

This is a bit troublesome.

We must know that whether it is Spencer, Wesker, Mascu or even Alice, after they are infected with the T virus, the homologous sequence of the T virus is basically detected in the ERV in their bodies. Find a similar sequence on your body, and then refer to Pang Xuelin's ERV sequence to find the improvement direction of the T virus.

Who would have thought that Pang Xuelin's ERV sequence was completely different from theirs.

This is more troublesome.

Because there are thousands of ERV sequences in the human body, no one knows which one is useful and which one is not.

It is basically impossible for the scientists of the umbrella company to screen useful information from Pang Xuelin's ERV sequence without spending ten or eight years.

Spencer couldn't wait that long. Since the scientists inside the umbrella company couldn't do it, he had no choice but to pin his hopes on Pang Xuelin. This was the main reason why he sent Albert Wesker to find Pang Xuelin.