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  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services | National Institutes of Health

In Their Own Words... NIH Researchers Recall the Early Years of AIDS

Research Images

Drs. Thomas Folks and Guido Poli discuss their AIDS research

Drs. Thomas Folks and Guido Poli discuss their AIDS research

Researchers and healthcare workers took precautions when handling potentially infected blood

Photograph of testtubes containing potentially infected blood.

A crystal of the anti-AIDS drug zidovudine (AZT), viewed under polarized light

A crystal of the anti-AIDS drug zidovudine (AZT), viewed under polarized light.

Zidovudine, better known as AZT, was the first antiviral shown to be effective against AIDS

Zidovudine, better known as AZT, was the first antiviral shown to be effective against AIDS

Fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) used a laser beam aimed at a stream of cells to measure the number of infected cells

Fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) used a laser beam aimed at a stream of cells to measure the number of infected cells.

Abbott Laboratory's in vitro HTLV-III ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) diagnostic kit

Abbott Laboratory's in vitro HTLV-III ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) diagnostic kit.

Diagram of the polymerase chain reaction test shows how HIV DNA sequences diagnose HIV infection in blood samples

Diagram of the polymerase chain reaction test shows how to amplify HIV DNA sequences as a way to diagnose HIV infection in blood samples.
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