LeTourneau student's virus discovery could have medical benefits - possibly combat TB

LONGVIEW, TEXAS -- A LeTourneau University student has discovered a new virus — now named after a building on campus — that could combat the bacteria that causes tuberculosis.

Brian "Blake" Maxfeldt, a sophomore biology major from Katy, found the virus during his freshman year when, as part of a class, he tested a sample of soil from a flower bed — at the base of a small tree and some shrubs — in front of the Solheim Center.

The virus was determined to be novel, and Maxfeldt named it after the Solheim Recreation and Activity Center where he found it. The Solheim Center is named in honor of alumnus and longtime LeTourneau University Board of Trustees member John Solheim, who has served on the board since 1992 and who has been a donor to the university.

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To determine that it was a new virus, its genomic sequence was analyzed and compared against viruses in existence. The virus was determined to be one that can invade the bacteria that causes tuberculosis, and possibly, combat the disease.

Read more: https://www.news-journal.com/news/2016/aug/24/letourneau-students-virus-discovery-could-have-med/

Cross-posted in the Health Group.