Historical Outline

Karissa Kaminski

Role in project- medical technology

Discovering cause of vampire infestation
1. Understanding Bat Evolution
a. Historical event- team led by Australias
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
(CSIRO) compared bat genomes to humans.
b. Occurred recently- 2012
c. P53 and MDM2 genes in bats had a unique
mutation able to repair damage to DNA (CSIRO).
d. Those same genes are involved in aging & anti-viral
immunity (Dr Chris Cowled post-doctoral fellow at the CSIRO's
Australian Animal Health Laboratory).
e. How is this related to my project?- What has caused
the vampire outbreak- Infected humans gain immortality due to
the mutation in bats.
f. Actual outcome- The genes of long-living and virus
resistant bats may provide clues to the future treatment and
prevention of infectious diseases and cancer in people (Leon).
Gettler, Leon. "Understanding Bat Evolution Could Lead To New
Treatments For Viruses and Aging." Gizmag. N.p., 24 Jan. 2013. Web. 9
Nov. 2015.