Dry Lab PDF Download

Dry Lab is a rather unconventional mystery novel. The setting, a biomedical research institute, as well as elements of the plot, and many of the characters are broadly drawn from my career in science. The term “dry lab” is one chemists use to describe a fraudulent experiment -- one in which no actual chemistry is done (hence the word "dry"). Rather, the data are fabricated to achieve the desired result. Instances of dry-labbing by the murder victim create a second layer of suspense as the hows and whys of his fraud are gradually uncovered. The characters include Dr. Jack Spivey, universally despised virologist and research con man; Rob Hastings, Spivey ́s insecure and ethics-ridden postdoctoral fellow; Wendy Rich, travel agent by day, animal rights activist and computer hacker by night; Eve Dash, Spivey ́s mistress and former call girl; and Vince Rubino, vending machine supplier and occasional self-induced psychopath. The action begins with Spivey ́s murder. Hastings is ordered by the Institute Director to put his former boss ́s scientific house in order, and discovers a rich legacy of laboratory larceny. As Spivey ́s academic heir, Hastings inherits the dead man ́s enemies, including the animal rights activists implicated in his murder. Computer sabotage, rodent venereal disease, toxic Twinkies and a purloined AIDS drug all figure in the plot, along with blackmail, murder, and romantic intrigue. ---The Science in Dry Lab--- The science supporting key elements of Dry Lab’s plot is both accurate and plausible, although, of course, not always practicable. The death of Jack Spivey, for example, results from administration of a monoamine oxidase inhibitor anti-depressant, a class of drugs known to cause hypertensive crisis in patients with a history of high blood pressure. This and the later attempted murder of Rob Hastings by induced anaphylactic shock both involve the use of a targeted toxin -- a substance harmless to anyone without specific susceptibility to its biological effects. Spivey’s pet project, sponsored by Thanopest Inc., to drive native rat populations into extinction using a genetically engineered rat virus reminiscent of HIV has a similar basis in real science. The effectiveness of the anti-AIDS drug Spivey sold to his acquaintance, Terry Detweiler, is a bit more of a reach, but there is precedent for anti-cancer drugs acting against viruses like HIV. AZT is one such example. The science discussed in the brainstorming session between Hastings, the Mexican scientist who discovered the drug, and Detweiler, who is also a scientist, is again plausible and internally consistent. And, finally, Rob’s rescue during his anaphylactic episode through sexual arousal should also work. Under such circumstances, a twenty-something male would release a sizable burst of adrenaline, which would most certainly help counteract the effects of the allergen.