How to Make a Better Vaccine

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Although the current threat of avian flu may have passed before the next-generation vaccines make it to market, the work won't be wasted. The upgrade will make even the annual flu vaccines more effective and will prepare us better for when the next pandemic threat looms. CURRENT METHOD: EGG CULTURE Virus is purified and chemically killed to produce the vaccine Virus --> Virus is grown in fertilized chicken eggs --> Vaccine NEW METHOD: HUMAN-CELL CULTURE Virus is killed and processed to produce the vaccine Virus --> Cell --> Virus is grown in human-cell culture --> Vaccine GENETIC METHOD: DNA VACCINES Plasmid is manufactured, purified and painted onto gold particles Virus --> Viral RNA --> Microscopic gold particles --> Gene gun shoots particles into the skin