MEMORANDUM TO ALL RESEARCH
SCIENTISTS
DOCTOR MANDOR SAVIC
ISOLATION OF PLASMID TRIGGER FROM
THE ESCHATON VIRUS
Initial studies of the Eschaton pathogen confirmed that it was extremely lethal. However, its relatively low level of contagiousness, combined with its instability through contact with air, limited its potential as a bioweapon.
The modifications to the virus ordered by Colonel Kratek have begun to address this limitation. Subject-to-subject infection has been increased significantly.
This poses considerable risks from accidental exposure or dispersal within the laboratory. Standard safety and security protocols for handling and storing the pathogen are not adequate to meet these risks.
To address this, I have isolated a plasmid 'trigger' from the virus to render it inactive (non-contagious) when not being used for testing on research subjects. The derivation and use of this trigger' to re-activate the virus is as follows:
- The plasmid contains a set of genes extracted from the active virus which are responsible for creating the proteins needed for the virus to bind to the host cell.
- It has been created in this format as a stable DNA structure to preserve and protect the gene code while outside the protection of the viral capsid.
- Activation requires the uncoating of the virus to occur in a controlled laboratory environment. The plasmid is exposed to polymerase to transcribe an RNA copy which is able to insert itself into the virus's genome.
- Once its genetic sequence has been completed the virus is able to self-assemble and can be considered an active pathogen.
The plasmid will be held in secure storage at all times and only released with written authority from me.
Doctor Savic, Facility X01, December 2358