Courtney's project...

Courtney laid on her bed for a little while before deciding to work on her project. She got off her bed, and went over to her computer and turned it on. As she waited for the computer to load up, she thought back to how she got interested in Virology.

FLASHBACK

It was six years ago, after the science fair at school for the year. Courtney had done a project involving mold and their antibiotic properties that her mother had helped with. Surprising her one of the judges for the fair was Petra, Sharon's mother.

And further surprising her was Petra's interest in Courtney's project in particular. "Hey, Miss Petra, what are you doing here?" Courtney had asked her friends mother.

"I heard about your project and volunteered to be a judge." Petra had answered while looking over Courtney's project notes.

"Wow...is it good?" Courtney asked.

"Extremely good, though a little outdated. Molds and antibiotics are so last millennium." Petra answered with a wink to forestall any hurt feelings. "Virology is the way of the future. If you are thinking of getting into medical research, I'd suggest going into that field. It's hard though."

"Challenges don't scare me. Do you have any start points that I could understand?"

"Reams. It's not a really new field, it's just in the last twenty to thirty years we've been able to get the necessary technological advances to be able to study it beyond theory." Petra answered, then placed the Project notes back on the table. "You have a very scientific mind, you know. I have a friend that could help you online. I mean I don't know much of this, but Sharon's father was in the field. I met him through this friend. I'll give you his email if you would like to explore it."

"Yes ma'am! I'd like that a lot!" Courtney had said, beaming with pride and excitement.

Petra smiled at her daughter's friend and left after patting the girl on the head.

Courtney had gotten an A+ on that project.

Petra got her the email address two days later and Courtney immediately contacted the user. She explained her interest in the field and her desire to learn as much as possible while her mind and brain were young and malleable.

And so then Courtney was started with light stuff. Studying the common cold, influenza, and other low level virii. Eventually, in the last year, she was promoted to looking over the material on HIV/AIDS, and their efforts to create a vaccine for the virus.

In the course of her studies she found a common flaw in their research and was in the midst of trying to find a work around that didn't put off the scientific community.

It had to do with Eyam, a village in England that had an unusual survival rate involving the Black Death in the Middle Ages. Out of the 350 people that lived in the town after the plague came through only 83 people survived. But what Courtney found interesting was that all 83 people that (through genetic testing of their ancestors) they all had a CCR5 gene mutation designated as "delta 32" which was found in a statistically significant number, 14%, of direct descendants of the plague survivors. The Delta 32 mutation appears to be very rare. Then she found that there was a theory involved with that mutation also being able to prevent HIV/AIDS, should it be inherited from both parents.

So Courtney decided to see if she could create a virus that would give everyone this 'mutation'.

It had been hard work, but she was almost done with the theoretical phase.

Flashback (and lessons, hehe) over.

Courtney was excited to be working on such an important project, and was really hoping that her findings would be able to get her a meeting with her teacher, whoever that was.