Lyme Disease
(Sfx: woods ambience with Jaws theme coming up under) 

     AS YOU SIT, QUIETLY ENJOYING THE GREAT OUTDOORS,  A TINY PREDATOR CALLED
THE DEER TICK IS LOOKING FOR YOU.  THE LITTLE BUG WILL CREEP UP, SINK ITS TEETH INTO YOU
AND FEAST ON YOUR BLOOD.  EVEN WORSE, IF THE TICK TRANSFERS CERTAIN BACTERIA INTO
YOUR BODY YOU CAN GET LYME DISEASE.  FIRST YOU MAY SEE A TRADEMARK BULL'S EYE
RASH AROUND THE BITE; IF YOU AREN'T TREATED WITH ANTIBIOTICS, THE DISEASE CAN CAUSE
STIFF JOINTS OR HEART AND NERVE DAMAGE.  THIS WOULD ALL BE AVOIDED IF YOUR BODY
COULD DEFEND ITSELF AGAINST THE DISEASE.  BUT ACCORDING TO CATHERINE LAWSON . . .

     Lawson: "people who are infected with Lyme disease very rarely have antibodies
against this protein."

     ANTIBODIES ARE PROTEINS IN OUR BLOOD WHICH FIGHT OFF FOREIGN INVADERS. 
 
(Sfx: sword)  

THEY ARE VERY SPECIFIC -- EACH ONE IS PERFECTLY BUILT TO ATTACK ONLY ONE KIND OF
DISEASE.  SCIENTISTS ARE STRIVING TO GIVE EVERYONE THE ANTIBODY THAT CAN FIGHT LYME
DISEASE.  LAWSON IS A BIOPHYSICIST AT BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY AND SHE'S
HELPED OUT BY FINDING THE EXACT ATOMIC STRUCTURE OF A LYME DISEASE PROTEIN.  FIRST
LAWSON MADE CRYSTALS OF THE PROTEIN.  THEN SHE AIMED STRONG X-RAYS AT IT AND
MAPPED HOW THEY BOUNCED BACK.

     Lawson: "these then give rise to reflections which you can measure.. every
reflection.. has something to say about where all the atoms are in your crystal." 

     BY FIGURING OUT WHAT ARRANGEMENT OF ATOMS WOULD CAUSE THE X-RAYS TO
BOUNCE THE WAY THEY DID, LAWSON WAS ABLE TO DEDUCE THE EXACT THREE DIMENSIONAL
STRUCTURE OF THE LYME DISEASE PROTEIN.  NOW SHE CAN USE HER NEW MAP OF THE
INVADER PROTEIN TO DESIGN A MORE PRECISELY MATCHING ANTIBODY VACCINE.  SOON
WE MAY HAVE A NEW WEAPON AGAINST A BIG THREAT FROM A TINY TICK.  

(Sfx: happy woods sounds, with springtime disney sounds. )