Charles Arntzen is convinced that the reddish, powdery substance he holds in his hand will make the world a safer place. Arntzen, an Arizona State University biologist, has been working for nearly five years to create what is basically freeze-dried tomato juice--but not from any ordinary tomatoes. This fruit (yes, tomatoes are fruits, not vegetables) carries a gene from a strain of the E. coli bacterium. Some strains of E. coli can cause violent diarrhea and death. Swigged down in reconstituted juice, however, a protein made by the E. coli gene should act as a vaccine, priming the immune system to...
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