Three days later.

Inside a biological laboratory outside Johannesburg, South Africa.

This will be three o'clock in the morning in South Africa, and in China, it is just nine o'clock in the morning.

Since coming to this laboratory in South Africa two days ago, Zhao Heng has been communicating with his family almost every day.

Zhao Heng, who has been here for two days, is still in the stage of jet lag, and although it is already early in the morning, Zhao Heng is not sleepy at all.

On the domestic side, there are two other people who came, both of whom are experts in epidemiology.

Moreover, this biological laboratory is not a laboratory in the ordinary sense, it is better to say that it is a laboratory, but it is a camp, and the scientific researchers are sleeping in tents.

There are a lot of people from all over the world, so Zhao Heng naturally did not sleep in a single tent, and Zhao Heng slept in one room with Professor Hu, an epidemiologist who came with him.

Thinking of the scene he saw during the day, Zhao Heng really couldn't sleep at all, before he came, Zhao Heng thought that this was the kind of biological laboratory that the World Health Organization had been operating for a long time, but after he came, he found that everything here was just built a week ago.

Right now, there's still an area under construction, so the camp looks very busy every day, with all kinds of people coming in and out.

"Xiao Zhao, can't you sleep?"

Professor Hu got up, shirtless, and couldn't help but say when he saw Zhao Heng, who hadn't slept yet.

The climate in South Africa is hot, so you can't wear much at night.

He and Zhao Heng came to China, so before coming, he still knew something about Zhao Heng, a rising star and rising star in the domestic biomedical industry.

For Zhao Heng's achievements during this time, he still recognizes it.

"Sort of."

Zhao Heng nodded, and suddenly came to a place so far away from home, it was normal that he couldn't sleep.

"Xiao Zhao, you've been here for two days, how do you feel about this place?"

Professor Hu looked at Zhao Heng meaningfully and asked.

"Professor, to be honest, this place is completely different from what I expected before I came, let's just say that this biosafety level, I'm afraid I can't reach level 3 now."

Zhao Heng shook his head slightly and said.

Before he came, he said that it was a biological laboratory of the United Nations Health Organization, and he thought that it was at least a well-equipped professional biological laboratory, and the biosafety level was not to mention level four, but at least level three, otherwise how to study the super terrifying virus of blood Ebola .

Biosecurity is defined as a biological hazard that causes a real or potential danger to humans, animals or plants through direct infection or indirect damage to the environment by biological vectors.

The biosafety level is determined according to the different degrees of biological hazards, including the requirements for experimenters, laboratories, and even environmental protection, and the safety of microorganisms and biomedical experiments is usually divided into 4 levels according to the biological hazard level, so as to meet the needs of various adaptations such as scientific research, teaching, clinical and diagnosis.

Biosafety level 1 refers to pathogens whose characteristics are already clear and do not cause disease to researchers, such as baculovirus, guinea pig herpes virus, squirrel monkey herpes virus, etc.

Biosafety level 2 refers to pathogens with moderate infectivity, which are associated with some common human diseases and have potential dangers, such as hepatitis A virus, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, respiratory syncyspora virus, etc.

Biosafety level 3 refers to which pathogens with high infectivity and lethal onset require professional protection, such as HIV, West Nile encephalitis virus, Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus, etc.

The highest biosafety level 4 refers to pathogens with high infectivity, high probability of fatality or a large number of unclear characteristics, which require high-standard protection, and there is currently no effective vaccine or treatment, such as Argentine hemorrhagic fever virus, Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, Ebola virus, etc.

"Xiao Zhao, it's the first time you've gone abroad to accept this kind of mission, right?"

Professor Hu looked at Zhao Heng and said noncommittally, obviously since he came here, Professor Hu seems to be very calm, and he must have had this kind of experience.

"Yes."

Zhao Heng nodded, seeing Professor Hu's calm face, Zhao Hengxin said Could it be that he was making a fuss?

"I remember that you have experience in dealing with brain-eating amoeba infections in China, and professionally, I won't say too much. Xiao Zhao, you just have to remember that this is in Africa. ”

Professor Hu said meaningfully.

"Yes, we're in Africa."

Zhao Heng sighed slightly and said, everything is unreasonable, because this sentence [We are in Africa] is enough to explain.

You must know that South Africa is almost the most developed country in Africa, and Johannesburg is the largest and best city in South Africa, which can almost represent the highest level of development in the whole of Africa.

And in such a place, it is not possible to establish a third-level biological laboratory, and the scientific and technological level of the whole of Africa can be seen.

Generally speaking, safety, efficiency, and comfort are the three most ideal elements for establishing a biological laboratory.

Biosafety laboratories must ensure personal safety, environmental safety, waste safety and sample safety, be able to operate safely for a long time, and provide a comfortable and good working environment for laboratory staff.

And all of this is a reflection of the level of science and technology, no matter how powerful the World Health Organization is, it is impossible to transport all the things needed to establish a biological experiment here, so many things can only be taken locally.

It is precisely because of the local materials that it is impossible to establish a high-level biological laboratory.

"Professor, is Dr. William, the director of this biological laboratory, really just an infectious disease expert?"

Zhao Heng asked with some confusion.

The reason why I asked this is because Zhao Heng picked up a technology called [Biological Pathogen Genetic Modification Technology] on the body of this bearded doctor this morning, and such a technology is obviously to modify pathogens, such as bacteria and viruses, and then use them as weapons.

And the director of the biological laboratory of the United Nations Health Organization, with such a dangerous and internationally banned genetic modification technology, it is difficult for people not to doubt what he is here to do.

"Why do you say that?"

Hearing Zhao Heng say this, Professor Hu felt a little surprised, so he continued to ask.

"Nothing, just a gut feeling."

Zhao Heng shook his head slightly and said.

Now, on the bright side, everything in this biological laboratory, including receiving virus samples and analyzing them, is no different from a normal biological laboratory for epidemiological research on infection, so Zhao Heng can't say it, because he picked up the forbidden genetic modification technology on the bearded Dr. William, so he doubts his true purpose.

"You are still young, this mission, just learn more and watch more, the sky is falling and there is the United Nations side on top."

Professor Hu said slowly.

Between the words, it seems that he knows some inside information.

"Professor, you're here, can you give me an explanation?"

When Zhao Heng heard Professor Hu say this, he immediately knew that Professor Hu must know something he didn't know, and even had some separate and special tasks on his body, but he didn't know what this task was.

"The purpose of this time is to confirm the intensity and transmission mode of the latest type of Ebola virus in this outbreak, and the other is to find out whether there are traces of human beings in the emergence of this virus."

Professor Hu has not fully told Zhao Heng the true purpose of this mission until now, as the saying goes, things are made by secret, words are defeated, and it is impossible to be cautious to investigate this kind of human traces.

"I see, I see."

Zhao Heng nodded, as soon as Professor Hu said this, he directly matched the genetic modification technology that Zhao Heng picked up from this bearded Dr. William.

"So the work that starts tomorrow, don't ask anything, don't ask any doubts, and do your best to collect the genetic sequencing data of the Ebola virus this time."

Professor Hu said to Zhao Heng very solemnly.

This genetic sequencing data is the most direct evidence that directly points to whether the bloody Ebola is artificially modified this time, so it must be strictly guarded against and not so easy to obtain.

"Anyway, try your best, I look at today's security arrangement, most of the security forces are used to protect the area of gene sequencing, so this matter is not required to be completed."

After a pause, Professor Hu said again.

This time, he and Zhao Heng were sent over to collect as much information as possible about the new blood Ebola virus, of course, neither of them was a professional intelligence officer, so they could only try their best.

"I see."

Zhao Heng nodded, however, Zhao Heng was very sure of this difficult task.

Because the [microbial genetic modification technology] picked up from Dr. William, there is a complete genetic modification data on the Ebola virus, and what currently bothers Zhao Heng is how to come up with this data.

If you take it out directly, then the source of the data will be a big problem.

"But Professor, isn't it a bit too difficult for us to leave such a thing to two of us researchers?"

Zhao Heng couldn't help asking.

"In this emergency response team, people can't get in casually, the two of us come in, and the United States has done research and investigation, so it is naturally impossible for intelligence officers to come in."

Professor Hu shook his head slightly and said.

"I see."

Zhao Heng nodded.

"Then go to bed early, and see how William's bearded man is assigned work tomorrow."

Professor Hu said.

"Okay."

Zhao Heng responded.

The time came to nine o'clock in the morning.

In the largest tent in the camp, researchers from various countries sat around a put together table, and the camp director, the head of the UNWHO emergency response team, the bearded Dr. William, began to assign tasks.

It was the first time for Zhao Heng to participate in this kind of conference attended by scientists from all over the world, and he felt a little novel, among these people, there were many bigwigs who often published papers in "Cell", and it seemed that all countries still attached great importance to this task.

Dr. William quickly completed the tasks assigned to scientists from various countries, and Zhao Heng and Professor Hu were indeed assigned some inconsequential tasks to collect basic data.

Zhao Heng originally wanted to show off and strive for a more important task, but he remembered what Professor Hu said last night, but he couldn't help it.

However, Zhao Heng looked at the scientists from various countries present, and he was also very angry, because this Dr. William handed over the most important and most important information to the scientists of the three countries, United States, England and Milk France.

"William, this is a team from the United Nations, and although you are the leader, you shouldn't be assigned work like this."

The representative of the scientists of the Mao Bear Country finally couldn't bear to stand up and speak.

Obviously, the representative of the scientists of the Woolly Bear Country, and the bearded Dr. William, knew each other.

Speaking of which, William, the bearded man, came to the United States twenty years ago from the Mao Bear Country, as for why such a top scientist wants to go from the Mao Bear Country to the United States, this is an extremely sad story.

"Chekhov, do you think that in St. Petersburg, everything is up to you? I am the team leader here, I have the final say, if you have any comments, please submit them directly to the Secretary-General. ”

The bearded William said in a flat tone without a trace of emotion to Chekhov, the representative of the scientists of the Hairy Bear Country.

Hearing this, Chekhov, the representative of the hot-tempered Hairy Bear Country, couldn't bear it anymore and was about to have a seizure, but a scientist accompanying him stopped him.

With this little episode, scientists from other countries, although dissatisfied, did not stand up and say anything more.

Now that the tasks have been assigned, the scientists of various countries have also left their tents and gone to work.

Just as Zhao Heng and Professor Hu were about to leave the tent, Dr. William suddenly stopped the two.

"Dr. William is still on business?"

Professor Hu said very cautiously.

At present, his and Zhao Heng's task is to hold on, keep a low profile, and find opportunities to collect more information as much as possible.

"This is Zhao, Professor Li from your country, and I am very surprised by your breakthroughs in the field of nano research, especially the successful development of siRNA colloidal beams."

William did not answer Professor Hu, obviously he was not very interested in Professor Hu, the top epidemiologist in China, but turned to Zhao Heng.

"It's over, Dr. William."

Zhao Heng said very cautiously, this Dr. William is very fluent in Mandarin, which makes Zhao Heng's vigilance against him the highest.

Sometimes, the scariest thing is this kind of enemy who knows you.

Moreover, combined with the genetic modification technology he picked up from Dr. William, Zhao Heng shuddered when this William mentioned siRNA colloidal beams.

Why did William pay attention to this new type of nanotherapy material, it is very simple, since siRNA can be used as a nano-scale material to carry drug molecules into the human body to achieve therapeutic effects, then as a very easy to use and extremely hidden nano-scale delivery tool, it can also transport other things!

(End of chapter)