The first-in-class capsid (CA) binding antiretroviral, Lenacapavir (Len), inhibits viral spread at multiple steps in the viral life cycle. Structural studies show that Len interacts with an FG-binding pocket between the N-terminal and C-terminal domains of adjacent CA monomers resulting in destabilization of the CA core lattice. Three key binding functional groups within Len that interact with CA were identified. Subsequently, six Len analogues (Lenalogs) were designed and synthesized. These Lenalogs vary by the removal or replacement of one of the identified functional groups. My work investigates the impact of Len and Lenalog binding on CA assembly rate, as well as, the structure of the assembled protein. Using an IPTG  E. coli expression system and ion exchange chromatography, I have expressed and purified CA protein. I induced in vitro assembly of the purified CA protein by the addition of inositol hexakisphosphate (IP6) in both the presence and absence of Len or the Lenalogs. Relative to Len, LL-10.4 and LL-15 promoted assembly, LL-14 was similar, while LL-11, LL-19 and LL-20 promoted assembly to a lesser extent. Samples with LL-10.4 and LL-15 were chosen for cryo-EM analysis as these promoted assembly to a greatest extent. CA was assembled on lipid vesicles (templated CA-like particles or CLPs) by the Dick lab (Emory University, Atlanta, GA), and these were subjected to cryo-EM data collection and analysis. Both LL-10.4 and LL-15 bound to the FG-binding pocket like Len. Negative stain transmission electron microscopy and light scattering will be used to further assess the effect of Len and Lenalogs on assembly kinetics. My work will be used to inform the design of next generation CA-targeting antiretrovirals.

Dehydration is a silent but pervasive health risk, particularly for older adults in assisted living home settings, where prevalence rates can reach up to 60%. Medications that increase fluid loss place seniors at a heightened risk, leading to severe complications including urinary tract infections, falls, cognitive decline and hospitalisations. Caregivers continue to struggle to monitor fluid intake effectively, with less than 10% maintaining consistent hydration logs. Existing hydration monitoring solutions are often invasive, expensive and poorly suited for non-medical care settings. To address this critical issue, we developed a novel, non-invasive hydration monitoring system designed for elderly care environments. Unlike existing methods that rely on highly variable sweat salt concentrations, our approach leverages ultrasound-based elasticity measurements to assess hydration status. Changes in hydration levels alter the biomechanical properties of skin and muscle, affecting the speed at which ultrasound waves travel through tissue. By using a dual-transducer system to induce and measure shear wave propagation, we can quantify hydration status in real-time. The device provides both quantitative readouts for longitudinal tracking and intuitive qualitative feedback, similar to a blood pressure monitor's high-normal-low classification, ensuring ease of use without specialised training. Initial testing demonstrates promising accuracy and usability, positioning our solution as a practical solution to improve hydration management, prevent dehydration-related complications, and enhance quality of life for elderly residents. By empowering caregivers with a reliable, accessible hydration monitoring tool, our solution has the potential to significantly reduce healthcare costs, improve patient outcomes, and transform hydration care in aging populations. 

Daniel Kevles’ The Physicists: The History of a Scientific Community in Modern America details how physics in academia, industry, and government became increasingly intertwined within the national security state. He focuses on members of the physics elite who gained political power within the federal government and orchestrated the militarization of the field. However, his emphasis on these elite physicists, who were predominantly white males, overlooks the labor of non-white physicists. Drawing on Cedric Robinson’s Black Marxism: The Making of the Black Radical Tradition, which outlines a racial capitalist framework recognizing the inherent racialization of American labor hierarchies and national imperial interests, this paper theorizes the function of Cold War-era physics within a racial capitalist political economy. Specifically, it examines how the military-industrial complex exploited domestic racial capitalist structures to wield Black scientific labor. Using archival documents and the American Institute of Physics (AIP) oral history interviews with Black physicists, this paper will argue that the national security state co-opted the goals of the Civil Rights Movement to bolster national scientific manpower, advancing Cold War-era imperial expansion while reinforcing racialized labor hierarchies within physics.