Through trial and error, Moeller's researchers were able to come up with a highly effective blend of water and colloidal (electrified) silver that has since been patented. In 1998, Bill and sons Keith, Scott, Mark and Nathan, along with Robert Holliday, founded American Biotech Labs in Alpine, their hometown.

In the decade since, they have surely, if slowly, started to make their positive mark.

Nothing's easy, of course, and that includes saving the world from disease. There have been plenty of FDA hoops to jump through in this country and others. In the meantime they have distributed their special silver to help malarial victims in Africa, lepers in India, hepatitis sufferers in China, and as we speak they are working with the government in Thailand to help with AIDS treatment there. Here in America, ABL's silver-based products can be found in thousands of health food and supplement stores, including the giant GNC chain.

In the process, Bill Moeller — his sons call him "The Chief" — has become something of a cult celebrity among disease eradicators. He recently testified before the U.S. Congress about the positive results his company's products have had in fighting malaria in Ghana, and last year he traveled around the world to visit dozens of government officials, labs and hospitals interested in what he has to sell and serve.

"It's been an exciting ride, to find that this silver water we came up with has some interesting characteristics," says The Chief, putting it mildly.

The little company he and his boys started now employs 19 people in Alpine — plus another couple of million if you count the worldwide health consortium they are in the process of partnering with.

"We're trying to grow in the right way. Basically we're still small and conservative," says Moeller's son Scott.

Although deadly microbes might have an entirely different point of view.

---

Lee Benson's column runs Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Please send e-mail to benson@desnews.com and faxes to 801-237-2527.