[ Feature ]

Controversial in West – Credible in East?

uc Antoine Montagnier is a giant in the field of virology Land a Nobel Laureate to boot. Yet in spite of all his accolades, he is infamous for his claims in a controversial paper that the highly diluted DNA of various pathogens emit electromagnetic waves in water. What has shaken the scientists’ world now is his decision to pursue this research in Jiaotong University of China where he has taken on the leadership of a new research institute named after him. On November 18, 2010 the Professorship Appointment Ceremony at Jaiotong University was held grandly in Nansu Garden on Minhang Campus which was hosted by Executive Vice President, Lin Zhingqin. President Zhang Jie on behalf of Jiaotong University signed the appointment contract with Montagnier. His work at the Shanghai University will focus on the new scientific movement at the intersection of physics, biology and medicine. He and his team will study its theoretical basis and its possible medical applications. Montagnier who was born in France, spent most of his scientific career at two renowned French Institutions, the Institut Curie and the 2008 Nobel Prize in Physiology President of the World Foundation almost 30 years at the Institut or Medicine, for his discovery of for AIDS Research and Prevention Pasteur in Paris. He was the joint the human immunodeficiency and co-directs the Program for recipient with Françoise Barré- virus (HIV). He is also the co- International Viral Collaboration. Sinoussi and Harald zur Hausen of founder and a UNESCO World He is the President of the Houston-

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Vol15No2-Luc Montagnier.indd 20 3/9/11 10:04 AM [ Feature ]

based World Foundation for Medical electromagnetic signals that we can that this gut bacteria ends up in the Research and Prevention. He has measure. Not all DNA produces brain through plasma. These waves received more than 20 major awards, signals that we can detect with our can act as a biomarker to test for the including the Légion d’honneur device. The high-intensity signals presence of these bacteria, since it is (Commandeur in 1994; Grand come from bacterial and viral DNA.” difficult to detect them using PCR. Officier in 2009), the Lasker Award Homeopaths had received his He intends to set up a clinical trial in (1986), the Gairdner Award (1987), paper enthusiastically because his France to prove that bacterial DNA is King Faisal Foundation International research involves high dilutions present in plasma of autistic children Prize (1993) (known as the Arab which form the underlying principal only. He plans to treat these children Nobel Prize), and the Prince of of homeopathy. However, this with antibiotics and see the gradual Asturias Award (2000). paper was vehemently criticized disappearing of the DNA signal with However, after publishing a by the scientists. His paper recalls improvement in their condition. paper ‘Electromagnetic Signals Benveniste’s theory on water His decision to move to China are Produced by Aqueous memory. Montagnier calls him sheds light on the stringent research Nanostructures Derived from ‘modern Galileo’ whom he believes laws in Europe. The retirement laws Bacterial DNA Sequences’ in the was far ahead of his time. He in France did not permit him to work Journal of Interdisciplinary Sciences: believes that the high dilutions in at a Public Institute at the age of Computational Life Sciences in 2009, homeopathy are water structures 78. Montagnier reveals that he was he became a notorious figure in the that ‘mimic the original molecules’. turned down when he applied for science circles. In the paper, he claims However, no DNA molecule is left funding from other sources. Also, the that electromagnetic waves emit in a 10-18 dilution and yet a signal atmosphere in Europe is antagonistic from the DNA of pathogenic bacteria can be detected. towards homeopathy and other in water that has been prepared He proclaims that further alternative medical options. This agitatedly at high dilutions. He research is required that might move from west to east has certainly stresses that these radio waves might help to develop novel therapies to put Asia in the limelight as the hub be related to the ‘nanostructures’ cure chronic diseases like autism, of radical research and for its ability in the solution that might have the Alzheimer, Parkinson and even to nurture foreign talent. ability to recreate the pathogen. He multiple sclerosis. He believes that affirms, “What we have found is that electromagnetic signals can be found [Adapted from ‘French Nobelist Escapes DNA produces structural changes from the plasma of many patients ‘Intellecutal Terror’ to Pursue Radical in water, which persist at very high with these diseases, especially from Ideas in China’ published in Science, dilutions, and which lead to resonant the bacteria in the gut. It might be Volume 330 on 24 December 2010. ]

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