ISB News

ISB Post Doc Gets Patent for Protein that Blocks HIV

MartinShelton
Martin Shelton

Martin Shelton, a post doc in the Lee Hood lab, just received his first patent. He shared the following explanation with his 10-year-old nephew who’s a burgeoning scientist/inventor/engineer.

“We made a small molecule called a peptide (which is a sciency word for a piece of a protein). This peptide blocks a function that is key to the spread of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV, the virus that causes AIDS) within a person by trapping the virus within the infected cell and preventing it from infecting surrounding cells. It knocks out a similar function in cancer that could hinder tumor growth and the spread of cancer from one part of the body to another. We think it could one day be used to help treat HIV/AIDS or cancer, but it still has a long way to go and would have to pass many, many more tests before it could be used as a medicine. But in the meantime, it’s a useful tool for studying certain aspects of these diseases.”

Congratulations, Martin!

20130502-184513.jpg

Recent Articles

  • Dr. Hadlock

    Dr. Jennifer Hadlock Promoted to Associate Professor

    Dr. Jennifer Hadlock – an expert in machine learning, immune-mediated inflammatory disease, and maternal/fetal health – has been promoted to associate professor. The Hadlock Lab is an interdisciplinary team that aims to accelerate translational research by integrating clinical data into systems biology at scale.

  • Spotlight on ISB Education graphic

    2022-23 School Year ISB Education Highlights

    From planning, creating and executing workshops for educators to forging new relationships to elevate students, the ISB Education team has been in high gear. Each month throughout the 2022-2023 academic year, we will highlight some of the top projects the team is working on.

  • Beyond the Scale: How Multiomics and Biological BMI Can Help Achieve Optimal Health

    ISB researchers have constructed a biological BMI that provides a more accurate representation of metabolic health and is more varied, informative and actionable than the long-used classical BMI. ISB Senior Research Scientist Dr. Noa Rappaport discussed biological BMI in a Research Roundtable presentation.