A professor of microbiology at George Washington University in the US capital said on Monday he lost ”priceless” work on an Aids vaccine when he was mugged at knife-point while attending an Aids conference in South Africa.
James Mullins said that seven men attacked him outside his hotel in the east coast city of Durban at about 2:30 pm on Sunday, taking his laptop which contained years of research that could have led to an Aids vaccine.
”One of the men stuck a knife in my chest and the rest took my cellphone, wallet and laptop,” he said.
”The total value of the goods is about $4 000, but the research is my life’s work and is absolutely priceless.”
Mullins said the research focused on HIV and how it changes in the body over a period.
”I wanted to tell the conference that I think we understand how this disease happens and we could have an exciting opportunity to create a vaccine.”
The research Mullins wanted to release at the conference had not yet been published.
”It was cutting-edge material that I wanted to release when I spoke at the conference this morning, but obviously I was unable to do this.”
Mullins said he did have back-up copies of some of his work, but much of his latest research had not been copied.
”Somewhere in Durban, a mugger is sitting with a possible Aids vaccine,” he said.
Mullins has offered a $1 000 reward for the return of the laptop. – Sapa-AFP