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Nature 451, 532-533 (31 January 2008) | doi:10.1038/451532a; Published online 30 January 2008

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Ion channels: Coughing up flu's proton channels

Christopher Miller1

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Two research teams have captured snapshots of the influenza virus's membrane-bound hydrogen-ion channel, which is essential for infection and virulence. Their findings agree on the basics, but differ in details.

The paperstorm of research directives blowing out of our biomedical policy offices sometimes drives me to take emotional shelter in a precept of one of my old professors: "Applied research, applied well, soon becomes basic research." The common flu virus illustrates the broad wisdom of this maxim.

  1. Christopher Miller is in the Department of Biochemistry, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454, USA.
    Email: cmiller@brandeis.edu

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