Do you think there is any money in virus testing, using modern PCR techniques?  I do lots of PCR in my job (mouse tissue, not plant, but PCR is PCR), and have an extensive collection of orchids.  I've wondered how many of my plants are virused, but don't have the money to test them. 
 
If I thought there was a reasonable market for PCR-based virus testing, I think it would be fun to set up a part of my lab for the purpose (and work something out with the University on profit sharing).  If there were some grant money available somewhere to get things started, that would make it more likely to happen.  Any thoughts out there?
 
Jim Marchand
Ashland, MA,   growing cattleyas, laelias, paphs, phrags and phals. 
 
 

" Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2006 16:04:48 +0000
From: "K Barrett" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: [OGD] Viruses again
To: [email protected]
Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Thanks to Terry Glancy and Robert Bedard for their information in the last digest.  Its nice to know how virulent these viruses are.  I'm glad someone is going forward with PCR protocols in virus testing. I imagine the stumbling block to expanding this to other viruses is getting the infrastructure in place.  I'm always the entrepreneur, and wonder if this could become a cottage industry for retired science hobbyists, or forward thinking grad students. Heck, better yet, an underpaid tech with delusions of grandeur. *G*. (Nah, its probably prohibited in Genetech's employment contracts)  Maybe there'd be some grant money out there for research into identification & isolation of other plant viruses.  Anybody know J Craig Ventner personally?  Maybe he'd take time away from his current project to elucidate the DNA sequences for all 40 plant viruses.  http://www.sorcerer2expedition.org/version1/HTML/main.htm
"I got vision and the rest of the world's wearing bifocals"
 
Butch Cassidy Barrett
N Calif, USA"
_______________________________________________
the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD)
[email protected]
http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com

Reply via email to