In the 1960s, when virologist Graeme Laver was exploring the New South Wales coastline, little was known about the origins of influenza pandemics that were taking a toll worldwide. During one of his strolls, Laver and Robert Webster stumbled upon a beach scattered with dead wedge-tailed shearwaters, sparking their curiosity about influenza in wild birds, as the virus had only been discovered in domestic birds like ducks at that time.
Determined to uncover the mysteries surrounding influenza in wild birds, Professor Laver decided to conduct research on shearwater birds to explore the structure of the virus. Despite skepticism and lack of funding for his expedition, in 1969, he managed to secure $500 from the World Health Organization to initiate his work on the Great Barrier Reef, specifically on Tryon Island, a remote coral cay island where he believed he could find crucial insights into the flu virus.
Throughout his research, Professor Laver tested hundreds of birds to prove that the virus could be inhibited, a breakthrough that significantly impacted the treatment and prevention of influenza. His meticulous study and discoveries were driven by his passion to solve the recurring challenges posed by pandemic influenza outbreaks that had troubled the medical field for years.
Professor Laver's relentless pursuit of understanding the flu virus even led him to send samples to a Russian space station in an attempt to grow them under microgravity conditions, showcasing his avant-garde approach and commitment to advancing scientific knowledge. The culmination of his research was the development of the anti-viral drug Tamiflu by the Californian pharmaceutical company Gilead Science, which utilized Laver's findings to create a medication that is still widely used today in treating influenza infections.