Economics & Investing For Preppers

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Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. And it bears mention that most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at investing in custom and production knives. (See the Tangibles Investing section.) But first, don’t skip reading the lead article, on silver.

Precious Metals:

Silver Surges 3% To $18.30oz; Next Resistance At $20/oz and Then $50/oz

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Gold Price Forecast: Gold Topped, Just Like In The 90s

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At Zero Hedge: Three Things Gold Isn’t

Government Debt & Finance:

Mnuchin Says Ultra-Long Bonds Under ‘Very Serious Consideration’

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Key yield curve inverts to worst level since May 2007, 30-year rate under 2%

The article begins:

“Long-term Treasury rates added to their monthlong slide on Tuesday, aggravating a key yield curve inversion and sending the 10-year yield to its lowest level against the 2-year rate since 2007.

The yield on the benchmark 2-year Treasury note, more sensitive to changes in Federal Reserve policy, held steady at 1.533%, 4 basis points above the 10-year note’s rate of 1.493%. Earlier, the spread between the two yields dropped to 4.2 basis points, its most-negative point since May 2007.

The spread between the 3-month Treasury yield and that of the 10-year note — the Federal Reserve’s preferred inversion metric — slumped to -50 basis points, its lowest since March 2007. The 30-year bond yielded 1.978%, near its all-time low; the 30-year rate fell under 2% for the first time ever on Aug. 14.

Falls of the 10-year rate below the 2-year yield are viewed by fixed income traders as important recession prognosticators, marking an unusual phenomenon as bond holders receive better compensation in the short term. The Dow Jones Industrial Average retraced a 155-point gain on Tuesday as bond yields fell.”

o  o  o

Treasury is about to flood the market with debt to fund U.S.’s $1 trillion deficit — and that is a concern

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Aussie Reserve Bank, Considering “Extreme Measures”, Admits “We’re Almost Out Of Ammo”

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And at Wolf Street:  US National Debt Spiked $363 billion in Two Weeks, $1 Trillion in 12 months. But Who Bought This Pile of Treasury Securities?

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — August 29, 2019

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August 29th is a mournful day, as we remember the anniversary of the death of  John, the Baptist, who heralded the first coming of our Lord and stood true to his belief in the face of death, was beheaded on this day in 29 AD.   “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” – Isaiah 40:3.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 84  of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The more than $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3,000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A gift certificate from Quantum Harvest LLC (up to a $2,200 value) good for 12% off the purchase of any of their sun-tracking models, and 10% off the purchase price of any of their other models.
  2. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  3. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  4. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  5. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  6. An assortment of products along with a one hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. Good2GoCo.com is providing a $400 purchase credit at regular prices for the prize winner’s choice of either Wise Foods or Augason long term storage foods, in stackable buckets.
  2. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  3. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  4. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances.

Round 84 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Gardening When It Counts – Part 2, by A.K.

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(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.)

Garlic deserves a place in a survival garden. Both for it’s culinary attributes as well as medicinal qualities, garlic is a champ. Plant the largest nicest-looking cloves you can find, as you want your crop to have good genetics. After harvest, dry the crop carefully. Store the biggest heads of garlic in a separate place to replant for the next crop. Either soft neck or hard neck garlic will work. Hard neck garlic produces green scapes which need to be cut off; these can be used in cooking. Hard neck garlic is reputed to have better flavor than soft neck garlic. Soft neck garlic can be braided and will store longer. I honestly can’t tell the difference in terms of flavor and grow and enjoy both kinds. Note: Elephant garlic is not a true garlic. It is more closely related to leeks. It doesn’t have the same medicinal or storage qualities as traditional garlic. I don’t recommend it for a survival garden situation.

Onions are another champ in the garden. Their culinary impact on your meals is a real plus. You can harvest some onions fresh for immediate use. Reserve most for storage, for the non-growing season. Grow what are known as storage onions — not sweet onions such as Vidalia. Sweet onions are not meant for long-term storage.

What about greens? Nutrient rich and flavorful, greens such as kale, chard, and spinach are worthy of a space in a survival garden. They’re all easy to grow, can be harvested by the leaf (instead of pulling the whole plant) and will survive light frosts if covered. Spinach is finicky about hot weather and does better in cooler temps. Some varieties of spinach are better suited to warmer weather and others do well into light frosts. If your family isn’t used to eating these crops you’ll want to be sure to introduce them to these star veggies before a crisis situation. Lacinato kale is nicknamed “dinosaur kale” due to the appearance of the leaves which may induce kids to be willing to try it. I think it’s the most flavorful type of kale, as well. “Bright Lights” chard is colorful, flavorful and easy to grow.Continue reading“Gardening When It Counts – Part 2, by A.K.”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:

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SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from “JWR”. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. Today, we look at commercially-built bunkers

Boom Times For Bunker Builders

G.G.was the first of several readers to send us this: A Boom Time for the Bunker Business and Doomsday Capitalists. Here is an excerpt:

“Bunker builders and brokers have emerged as key players in this field. And they see the interior of the country, with its wide-open spaces, as a prime place to build. Aiding them is history. During the Cold War, the military spent billions of dollars constructing nuclear warheads and hiding them in underground lairs around the nation, often in Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and New Mexico. Those hideaways, emptied of their bombs, are now on the market and enterprising civilians are buying them (relatively) cheap and flipping the properties. Eager customers abound.”

China’s Social Credit Score, Run Amok

Reader H.L. suggested this: Chinese State Media Announces 2.56M ‘Discredited Entities’ Prevented From Purchasing Plane Tickets Under Social Credit System

Amazon Says It Can Detect Fear on Your Face

Also from G.P. sent this one: Amazon Says It Can Detect Fear on Your Face. You Scared?Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:”

Preparedness Notes for Wednesday — August 28, 2019

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August 28, 1833 is the anniversary of the abolishment of slavery throughout the British Empire.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 84  of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The more than $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3,000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A gift certificate from Quantum Harvest LLC (up to a $2,200 value) good for 12% off the purchase of any of their sun-tracking models, and 10% off the purchase price of any of their other models.
  2. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  3. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  4. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  5. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  6. An assortment of products along with a one hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. Good2GoCo.com is providing a $400 purchase credit at regular prices for the prize winner’s choice of either Wise Foods or Augason long term storage foods, in stackable buckets.
  2. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  3. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  4. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances.

Round 84 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Gardening When It Counts – Part 1, by A.K.

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Many of us have had a garden at one time or another given the space to grow one. We’ve had good gardening years with seemingly endless buckets of tomatoes filling all of the kitchen counter- top space not to mention the dilemma of what to do with all of those zucchini! Then there’s been the years when other things took priority. Maybe we didn’t get the soil prepared in time and finally got around to planting whatever seedlings we could find at the garden center in mid-summer. Perhaps we went away on a summer vacation and returned to find the garden engulfed by weeds. And then there’s the question of just why we planted “vegetable X”; it seemed like a good idea at the time and the picture on the seed package was so pretty but it turns out no one in the family actually likes radishes, or bok choi. And what on earth do we do with kohlrabi anyway?

While this sort of situation isn’t a big deal in normal times, in an emergency situation where our survival depends on what we’re able to grow, hunt or forage in addition to whatever food storage we have, our gardens can make the difference between life and death. At the very least having a well-performing garden that produces food that our family will eat and thrive on means that we make it through tough times with adequate calories and nutrients not to mention tasty meals!

As a market grower for 17 years (fruit and vegetables) I think I have a good grasp of which annual vegetables are solid performers, produce well, provide a high level of nutrients and are worthy of the space, time and effort needed to grow them when it really counts. When the lives of our families are dependent on our ability to grow solid producers, this isn’t the time to grow finicky crops, gourmet baby vegetables, esoteric veggies your family has never eaten etc. You get the picture. When your garden production is critical you want to grow food that will feed your family both during the growing season and through proper storage and preservation, year-round.Continue reading“Gardening When It Counts – Part 1, by A.K.”

JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

4

Here are JWR’s Recommendations of the Week for various media and tools of interest to SurvivalBlog readers. The focus is usually on emergency communications gear, bug out bag gear, books and movies–often with a tie-in to disaster preparedness, and links to “how to” self-sufficiency videos. There are also links to sources for both storage food and storage containers. You will also note an emphasis on history books and historical movies. This week the focus is on Can Sealers. (See the Gear & Grub section.)

Books:

Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits & Vegetables

o  o  o

Invisible Armies: An Epic History of Guerrilla Warfare from Ancient Times to the Present

o  o  o

Black & Decker: The Complete Guide to Sheds, 3rd Edition: Design & Build a Shed: – Complete Plans – Step-by-Step How-To (Black & Decker Complete Guide)

o  o  o
Blackout: How Black America Can Make Its Second Escape from the Democrat Plantation, by Candace Owens

Continue reading“JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:”

Preparedness Notes for Tuesday — August 27, 2019

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August 27, 1917 was the birthday of American gun designer Robert Hillberg, best known as the designer of the C.O.P. four-barrel derringer, Winchester’s Liberator shotguns, the graceful Whitney Wolverine, and the Wildey .44 Magnum gas-operated pistol. He died in 2012.

—

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 84  of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The more than $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A $3,000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses, excluding those restricted for military or government teams. Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  4. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper. These have hammer forged, chrome-lined barrels and a hard case, to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR-type rifle to have a quick change barrel. This can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools. It also provides a compact carry capability in a hard case or in 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A $250 gift certificate good for any product from Sunflower Ammo,
  7. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses.

Second Prize:

  1. A gift certificate from Quantum Harvest LLC (up to a $2,200 value) good for 12% off the purchase of any of their sun-tracking models, and 10% off the purchase price of any of their other models.
  2. A Front Sight Lifetime Diamond Membership, providing lifetime free training at any Front Sight Nevada course, with no limit on repeating classes. This prize is courtesy of a SurvivalBlog reader who prefers to be anonymous.
  3. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  4. A Three-Day Deluxe Emergency Kit from Emergency Essentials (a $190 value),
  5. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  6. An assortment of products along with a one hour consultation on health and wellness from Pruitt’s Tree Resin (a $265 value).

Third Prize:

  1. Good2GoCo.com is providing a $400 purchase credit at regular prices for the prize winner’s choice of either Wise Foods or Augason long term storage foods, in stackable buckets.
  2. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  3. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  4. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  6. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances.

Round 84 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Re-Post: Becoming a Savvy Pre-1899 Gun Buyer

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JWR’s Introductory Notes: It is very unusual me to re-post any of my SurvialBlog articles.  But I am doing so today, because we are living in very unusual times.

I wrote the following article in February of 2019.  I am re-posting it now, as it appears that the Republican leadership of the Senate is caving in to the demands of the mass media and some liberal constituents.  The word inside the D.C. Beltway is that plan to fast-track the passage of a “compromise” Universal Background Checks law, before the end of October.  Signing by President DJT could come as soon as early November, with an effective date on or before the end of calendar year 2019. Yikes!

Please take this article to heart. In addition to contacting your Senators to stop this, and stocking up on ARs and PMAGs, you should beat the rush and find yourself some pre-1899 cartridge guns, pronto.

The Senate returns from their summer recess on September 9th. The clock is now ticking. If this private party transfer ban legislation passes, then the window of opportunity to privately buy used modern guns will close in 37 states. At that point, pre-1899 guns will then become the last bastion of firearms ownership privacy. – JWR

[Re-Post:]

After posting my recent warning about potential passage and enactment of H.R. 8 / S.42 and an interview about this on the Reluctant Preppers podcast, I’ve had several readers and consulting clients contact me.  They’ve been asking these questions:  “How do I actually find pre-1899 cartridge guns in good condition?”, “Where can I find antique guns at reasonable prices?”, and “How do I know what I’m looking at”? Here is my summary on how to get savvy:

1.) Do your research. Visit a local gunsmith and have him show you how to spot a gun that has been reblued. (Blurred patent date markings on barrels are a sure sign of buffing and rebluing. And recently-reblued guns literally have the distinctive smell of bluing salts.) Have him describe how to spot and test for revolvers that have been “shot loose.” Also research your state law before you buy anything. A few states treat antique guns just like modern ones. Research the pre-1899 gun makers. Develop a list of makers and cartridge chamberings that makes sense for your locale.

2.) As a prepper, you should probably shun most oddball-chambered guns, unless you are already an experienced handloader and have a ready supply of brass. Some sure picks include: .30-30 Winchester (“.30 W.C.F.”), .25-35 Winchester, .30-40 Krag, .303 British, .45-70, 6.5 Swedish Mauser, 7×57 Mauser, .38 S&W, .44-40, and .45 Colt (commonly but incorrectly called .45 Long Colt).

Continue reading“Re-Post: Becoming a Savvy Pre-1899 Gun Buyer”

SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt

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This weekly column features news stories and event announcements from around the American Redoubt region. (Idaho, Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington, and Wyoming.) Much of the region is also more commonly known as The Inland Northwest. We also mention companies of interest to preppers and survivalists that are located in the American Redoubt region. Today, we focus on Washington State Rep. Matt Shea. (See the Region-Wide section.)

Region-Wide

The UK’s Guardian posted this hit piece about Matt Shea and The American Redoubt movement: Revealed: Republican lawmaker aided group training young men for ‘biblical warfare’. The piece was written by Jason Wilson, a liberal Guardian stringer who was born in Australia, but who now lives in Portland, Oregon. Wilson employs the classic Guilt By Association whitewash. But the plain fact is that Matt Shea is not a racist. One of Shea’s closest political allies is Alex Barron (the Bard of The American Redoubt), who is black. But reading Wilson’s smear piece, the average non-discerning reader would think that Shea is some sort of radical racist neo-confederate.

The Guardian piece was picked up and amplified by Chad Sokol of the leftist Spokane Spokesman Review. And of course Sokol felt obliged to once again dredge up some 1988 news about the founders of the Marble Fellowship. Sokol smeared them by misstating that in the present tense they are “attempting to distance themselves” from an ill-advised association that they made 32 years ago. I have news flash for Sokol: They’ve long since disassociated themselves. Using some ancient association of an association to demonize someone is not legitimate journalism. It is propaganda. These pseudo-journalistic tactics were developed by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). These repeated smears are all-too transparent!

Idaho

Grizzly predation tour in Boundary County

o o o

This Is the Marine Corps’ 1st Female F-35B Fighter Pilot. (She’s from Boise.)

Continue reading“SurvivalBlog’s News From The American Redoubt”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:

22

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods— a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from “JWR”. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. Today, we look at a new Ebola cure.

In Atlanta, There Is a Free Lunch

Reader H.L. forwarded this: All students to receive free lunch regardless of family income in Atlanta school district. H.L.’s Comment: “Creating more welfare mentality, that someone else owes you…”

Bosnian Survivor Warns America to Never Give Up Their Guns

Reader Larry H. spotted this: A 1992 Bosnian Holocaust Survivor Warns America to Never Give Up Their Guns.

An Ebola Cure is Heralded

A Zero Hedge piece: “The Success Is Clear”: We Finally Have A Cure For Ebola. Here is a quote from one troubling portion of the article:

“Drugs based off of monoclonal antibodies have become popular in modern medicine, helping fight off diseases like cancer and lupus.

On the negative side, it takes years of reverse engineering to create these types of drugs. ZMapp, for example, was created by infecting mice with Ebola and then collecting the antibodies that the mice produced against the virus. From there, those antibodies had to be engineered to look more like human ones, so as not to provoke an immune reaction.

Since Ebola infiltrates victims cells using spiky proteins on the virus’s outer shell, researchers look for antibodies that do a good job of binding to these proteins. From there, if access is blocked, the virus can’t replicate and spread. Ebola is especially difficult because it is large and has the ability to change shape, making it difficult for any one antibody to block its infection. This is why a drug cocktail approach is in favor, like the Regeneron product, which is a combination of three monoclonal antibodies first generated in mice.

Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods:”