Newsline in the gutter

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SCIENCE Genetic engineering - 'fashionahle hut untried' has predictably blamed the Brixton disturbances of Monday 1 November on 'outside agitators' . Last year the same newspapers said that the massive inner-city revolt by black youth was the work of 'four whites on motorbikes' We expect to see this kind of trash from Fleet Street. But we do not expect to see it in the leftwing press. Yet this week's Newsline (paper of the Workers' Revolutionary Party) ran a front-page story claiming that 'outside political groups' had 'cynically manipulated' Brixton's Front-Line youth into rioting.

On 3 November a complete Newsline leader was devoted to attacking two of those 'outside groups' -Workers Against Racism, plus its parent organisaCommunist Party.

The Newsline version of Monday's events goes like this: everybody in Brixton supported Lambeth Council's plans to demolish the Front-Line. Furthermore, the 'handful of evictions' that took place 'went off with scarcely any bother' Even the presence of 500 police, including the notorious new Instant Response Units, would not have sparked off any trouble had it not been for WAR and the RCP: "The police overkill would have looked even more ludicrous if there wasn't some 'aggro' generated on the ground. Enter the RCP' The rest of the Editorial is given over to accusing WAR and the RCP of being agent provocateurs.

Newsline apparently shares Fleet Street's racist view of black people: that they are not capable of responding to a militarystyle occupation of their community without being 'put up to it' by outside agitators. Worse still, Newsline denies that Brixton's black community had, anything to riot about on 1 November.

The Editorial claims that everyone in Brixton supported the demolition of the 'festering slums' on the Front-Line, except for WAR and the RCP. This, of course, is precisely the lie propagated by Lambeth Council and the police, who say that demolishing the Front-Line is merely about clearing up slums and petty crime.

On 1 November Brixton's black community demonstrated that they know better - that the offensive against the FrontDIABETES is the world's fastest growing disease, and the West's third biggest killer, after cancer and heart failure.

These facts underlie developing battle between drug companies Eli Lilly of USA and Novo Industri of Denmark for dominance in the UK market for insulin - one of the hormones produced by the body to control blood sugar levels, which is lacking or absent in diabetics.

The battle is about selling synthetic human insulin, which is about to become available thanks to new biotechnological techniques. It is taking place in Britain at least partly because it is easier to get new products licensed here than in the USA.

One of the techniques involved is genetic engineering, something that has been much discussed but little understood. But first we need to look at how insulin is made.

The human body makes insulin first as an inactive parent molecule - proinsulin, a small protein molecule made up of 86 building blocks called amino-scids (there is Line is about smashing resistance in what has become a 'no go' area for the police. When the revolt began Lambeth Council ran for cover. One councillor in particular did not know which way to turn; Opposition leader Ted Knight who had drawn up the demolition plans jointly with Tory Council leader Robin Pitt.

For reasons best known to itself, Newsline is an unreserved admirer of Ted Knight. It has given him and Lambeth's Labour Group extensive complimentary coverage. When Knight needed a scapegoat to explain the cause of the Front-Line revolt, Newsline rushed to the rescue with its red-baiting attack on WAR and the RCP.

Newsline is entitled to its political views. It is not entitled, in what is meant to special gene in our DNA which codes for proinsulin). The whole thing twists up into a three-dimensional tangle, and is prevented from unfolding by three pairs of aminoacids becoming joined by little chemical bridges.

Then 35 amino-acids are dropped out of the middle of the chain, leaving two separate chains joined by these bridges. The Achain has 21 amino-acids, and the B-chain has 30. The molecule is now active and is called insulin.

All these changes are carried out by little chemical machine tools called enzymes.

The usual source of insulin for diabetics is the pig or the cow - their insulins are almost (but not quite) the same as human insulin. For example, pig insulin has a different R30 aminoacid.

This difference may cause problems with some diabetics, whose bodies may produce anti-bodies to what seems like & dangerous invader.

Novo's contribution , to solving this problem consists in using an enzyme to chop off the offending B30 be a labour movement publication, to print statements that help the British state do its dirty work.

Its slanders about 'provocateurs' assist the police in their efforts to frame up individuals and organisations on 'conspiracy' and "incitement to riot' charges. Its lies about why and how the Front-Line erupted contribute to the Government's strategy of isolating and criminalising black people.

We urge all anti-racists, all black and labour movement organisations, to denounce Newsline's coverage on Brixton in the strongest possible terms. We ask you to provide us with the right of reply to its slanders by publishing this letter.

Workers Against Racism, London E8. and replace it with the correct amino-acid. This is really quite simple, once you have discovered such an enzyme (probably in some obscure fungus).

Lilly plumped for the fashionable but untried technique of genetic engineering.

They made genes for the A- and B-chains of insulin, and introduced them into Escherichia coli, a humble bacterium found in billions in the gut of the SO science correspondent, in common with all other humans. These insulin-producing bacteria are disabled by various mutations to prevent them being able to colonise the colon of an unsuspecting lab technician.

The A- and B-chains are purified and then joined in the correct way to make human insulin.

The process works well in the laboratory, but there are problems in scaling up for commercial production.

First, E. coli doesn't need to make insulin. Indeed, it's a lot more competitive with its fellows if it doesn't make it, so there is strong evolutionary pressure for it to lose the ability

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Grants have already decl ned severely in real value FOR THOSE of you who don't realise the scale of attacks on young people in le of attacks on youth. Last this country, you only have to look at the Tories' new week in Brixton me saw 'Young Workers Scheme' another.

It is presented as a Class Fighter supporters in the Labour Party Young scheme to encourage small Socialists are holding • against the witch-hunt.

The conference is open to young people who are look. ing for a real fightback ag ainst the Tories, not tubthumping speeches that usually mean nothing -but proposals for action.

The conference will be of Students National Union Socialist Organiser no.

Socialist students in NOLS conference Saturday November 13, 11.30-5, ULU, Malet St, London WC1. 6-8: public meeting with speakers from NZS, NUS, and Solidarnosc. Conference to organ• ise the left in NOLS, open to all Student Union and Labour Club activists.

Registration £2

(grant), 50p (no grant). 108 November I1 1982 Page 13 student by Sarah Veale (vice-president welfare of, NUS)