There were 35 million people around the
world who have died of HIV infections
650,000 in the United States in the
early 1980s this virus emerged and it is
an extremely unusual virus one virus
that we couldn't easily grow and it is
through the products of basic science
the ability to clone DNA, the ability to
sequence DNA, the ability to express the
proteins that are encoded by the virus
genome and ultimately determine their
three-dimensional structure that led to
drugs that have now controlled that
virus since the Second World War the
federal government has been supporting
basic signs very vigorously and this is
led to fundamental discoveries that have
latter been applied to improve human
health and well-being but over the past
decade we have seen an erosion of
federal funding and a reduction about
twenty percent in the amount of dollars
available for basic science and this is
now threatening the leadership of the
United States but also our ability to
continue to make these discoveries I ask
as you prepare to vote this year for the
people who will represent you in
Washington that you ask the candidates
about their support for scientific
research particularly fundamental basic
science your health and in fact your
very life depends upon the advances that
we were able to make in basic research
we need your vocal advocacy.
you
