ABOUT SCIENCE TRAINING NEWS EVENTS DONATE MELANIE OTT, MD, PHD Gladstone Institute of Virology RESEARCH ABOUT PUBLICATIONS CONTACT Melanie Ott’s lab focuses mainly on two viruses: the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) and the hepatitis C virus. HIV infects immune cells known as CD4+ T cells, wreaking havoc on the body’s immune system. However, the virus can also remain dormant in CD4+ T cells and re-emerge later to initiate a new round of infection. The hepatitis C virus targets liver cells, where it uses fat droplets to propagate itself while compromising the cells’ fat and energy metabolism. Ott’s team strives to understand the molecular interactions between these viruses and their target cells to yield targets for new therapeutic drugs. The lab also studies the Zika virus and its interaction with host RNA control pathways. Disease Areas Autoimmunity Hepatitis C HIV/AIDS Zika Virus Areas of Expertise Chromatin Biology Immunology Organoids Virology Lab Focus Understanding how host epigenetic mechanisms regulate HIV latency. Understanding flaviviral interactions with lipid droplets and the nonsense-mediated RNA decay pathway. Understanding how the protein SIRT1 regulates immune aging during HIV infection. Research Impact The team demonstrated the importance of a protein modification called acetylation in the regulation of HIV expression and latency. This work paves the way for the use of acetylation-targeting agents to reverse latency, which is considered the main obstacle to HIV eradication. Ott’s lab established SIRT1 as a central regulator of the balance between regulatory T cells, which suppress the immune response, and Th17 cells, which promote inflammation. This balance is compromised in both chronic HIV infection and autoimmune disease, and characterizing the SIRT1 pathway will provide new therapeutic approaches to alleviate both conditions. Ott and her group also showed the hepatitis C virus’s dependence on lipid droplets, which has repercussions beyond the treatment of this virus, given that other deadly viruses also use lipid droplets to multiply. Related News READ ALL New Clues to Delta Variant’s Spread in Studies of Virus-Like Particles NIH Director’s Blog—The Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 is driving the latest surge of COVID-19 cases in the United States. New research from Senior Investigators Jennifer Doudna and Melanie Ott explains how mutations in… November 18, 2021 New Method Sheds Light on Why Some SARS-CoV-2 Variants Are More Infectious Using virus-like particles, researchers find an unexpected explanation for why some coronavirus variants spread faster November 4, 2021 Staying Safe over the Holidays Gladstone virologists discuss the state of the pandemic and how to stay safe this holiday season October 22, 2021 A New Approach to Curing HIV Armed with a $26.5-million grant, a multi-institution collaboratory will tackle HIV in a new way August 17, 2021 A Comprehensive Profile of California’s “Homegrown” Coronavirus New analysis suggests the California variant is more transmissible than unmutated strains, but vaccines are effective against it May 26, 2021 How COVID-19 Is Changing Academic Publishing While the practice of placing papers on preprint servers ahead of peer review remains controversial in the scientific community worldwide, many Gladstone investigators are using bioRxiv to advance… May 19, 2021 Women in Medicine Finally Have Spotlight in COVID-19 Fight After Decades of Diversity Building ABC7 News—Senior Investigator Melanie Ott, PhD, Director of the Gladstone Institute of Virology, talks about the long path to leadership and recognition for women in medicine. April 21, 2021 At Home, on Your Phone, Results in Minutes: How COVID Has Changed the Future of Health Tests San Francisco Business Times—Senior Investigator Melanie Ott, MD, PhD, and Graduate Student Parinaz Fozouni explain how the CRISPR- and smartphone-based diagnostic platform they recently developed with UC Berkeley Dan Fletcher,… April 8, 2021 New Insights into How COVID-19 Causes Heart Damage Gladstone scientists discover how the novel coronavirus damages heart muscle cells, and create a system that can be used to screen potential therapies March 15, 2021 COVID: A User’s Guide to the Coronavirus Variants Emerging in California and Beyond The Mercury News—Director of Gladstone Institute of Virology Melanie Ott, MD, PhD, comments on the new coronavirus variants and says vaccines currently distributed in the US protect against hospitalization and death… March 6, 2021 Women Who Lead Influencers: Finding a Way through a Crisis San Francisco Business Times—Melanie Ott, MD, PhD, director of the Gladstone Institute of Virology, is one of several key Bay Area women life scientists sharing their views on their careers, the pandemic, and the path ahead for… March 5, 2021 STAT Madness Is on, and Gladstone Is a Finalist A Gladstone discovery could be selected as the top innovation in biomedicine February 28, 2021 The Coronavirus Is Changing Faster Than Scientists Thought. Can Vaccines Still Stamp It Out? San Francisco Chronicle—New coronavirus variants are emerging around the world, including in the Bay Area. Melanie Ott, director of the Gladstone Institute of Virology, explains that if the vaccine rollout isn’t fast enough… January 20, 2021 Bay Area Researchers Develop New Rapid COVID-19 Test That Uses Smartphone Camera ABC7 News—Gladstone Institute of Virology Director Melanie Ott, MD, PhD, and Graduate Student Parinaz Fozouni comment on the COVID-19 detection test they recently developed with Nobel Laureate Jennifer Doudna… January 15, 2021 National Collaborative Issues Call to Action against COVID-19 December 17, 2020 Gladstone Institutes is an independent state-of-the-art biomedical research institution that empowers its world-class scientists to find new pathways to cures. STAY UP TO DATE WITH US Subscribe to our newsletter, Cell Signals, to receive monthly updates on the innovative discoveries, distinguishing awards, and noteworthy events taking place at Gladstone Institutes. 1650 Owens Street, San Francisco, CA 94158 info@gladstone.org 415.734.2000 © 2021 Gladstone Institutes All Rights Reserved Terms and Conditions Conflict of Interest Careers For Media Contact