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Discovery: In Darwin's Shadow

18/02/2009

In Darwin's Shadow

BBC World Service - Discovery, In Darwin's Shadow

Steve Jones uses HIV to show how the theory of natural selection works

In Darwin's Shadow: Steve Jones uses HIV to show how the theory of natural selection works.

This week in Discovery, In Darwin’s Shadow continues to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin.  And the 150th anniversary of the publication of arguably the most read scientific book – The Origin of Species.  

Professor of genetics, Steve Jones uses HIV as an example of how the theory of natural selection works.  He speaks to Paul Sharp, Professor of Evolutionary Biology at Edinburgh University.   Paul has spent years looking at the origins of the HIV virus and has found that you can trace where the virus came from and found from which animals it came.  

Professor Deenan Pillay from University College London talks about how the virus has adapted to avoid annihilation from the many drugs we have used to fight the disease.   In a short space of time, it can adapt to become immune to the effects of one drug which is why 3 drugs are usually used to fight the infection.  There are now 25 different varieties of drug to be used together to keep the effects of the virus at bay. 

The virus develops so quickly, we can see it evolving in just one day in an infected person.  And in one lifetime we can see how a disease that once infected monkeys has adapted to kill humans.

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