Mullins Molecular Retrovirology Lab

The Mullins laboratory is located in the Rosen Building on the South Lake Union campus of the University of Washington School of Medicine. Our lab uses molecular, computational, and virus biology techniques to provide insights into the relationship between HIV and its human hosts in an effort to fight the AIDS pandemic. We use a variety of methods to document and understand the implications of HIV's extraordinary genetic diversity on the immunopathogenesis of AIDS, with a particular emphasis on acute/early infection and superinfection. We then apply this information to develop more effective vaccines and therapies in collaboration with other investigators. Our research work focuses on the acquisition and computational characterization of HIV nucleotide sequences, the development of web tools for related computational studies, in vitro studies of the growth properties of viral isolates, host genetic polymorphism analysis, and high-throughput analysis of cellular transcription.

Lab News

Step Trial Analysis Featured in UW Today

"For first time, scientists show an HIV vaccine impacts the genetic makeup of the virus." UW Today, 1 March 2011

Microm 496D and Microm 499B, Spring Quarter 2011

3:30-5:20pm Mondays, room T473 in UW Medical Center
1 hour each week will be focused on discussion of:

The tools of molecular biology and immunology used to study HIV infection
HIV biology and AIDS

More details, including the syllabus and registration procedure are available here.

Recent Publications

Mothe B, Llano A, Ibarrondo J, Zamarreño J, Schiaulini M, Miranda C, Ruiz-Riol M, Berger CT, Herrero MJ, Palou E, Plana M, Rolland M, Khatri A, Heckerman D, Pereyra F, Walker BD, Weiner D, Paredes R, Clotet B, Felber BK, Pavlakis GN, Mullins JI, Brander C 2012 CTL Responses of High Functional Avidity and Broad Variant Cross-Reactivity Are Associated with HIV Control. PloS one71e29717 pubmed

Herbeck JT, Müller V, Maust BS, Ledergerber B, Torti C, Di Giambenedetto S, Gras L, Günthard HF, Jacobson LP, Mullins JI, Gottlieb GS 2012 Is the virulence of HIV changing? A meta-analysis of trends in prognostic markers of HIV disease progression and transmission. AIDS1426193-205 pubmed

Nikolova M, Carriere M, Jenabian MA, Limou S, Younas M, Kök A, Huë S, Seddiki N, Hulin A, Delaneau O, Schuitemaker H, Herbeck JT, Mullins JI, Muhtarova M, Bensussan A, Zagury JF, Lelievre JD, Lévy Y 2011 CD39/adenosine pathway is involved in AIDS progression. PLoS pathogens77e1002110 pubmed

Lingappa JR, Petrovski S, Kahle E, Fellay J, Shianna K, McElrath MJ, Thomas KK, Baeten JM, Celum C, Wald A, de Bruyn G, Mullins JI, Nakku-Joloba E, Farquhar C, Essex M, Donnell D, Kiarie J, Haynes B, Goldstein D, 2011 Genomewide Association Study for Determinants of HIV-1 Acquisition and Viral Set Point in HIV-1 Serodiscordant Couples with Quantified Virus Exposure. PloS one612e28632 pubmed

Mothe B, Llano A, Ibarrondo J, Daniels M, Miranda C, Zamarreno J, Bach V, Zuniga R, Perez-Alvarez S, Berger CT, Puertas MC, Martinez-Picado J, Rolland M, Farfan M, Szinger JJ, Hildebrand WH, Yang OO, Sanchez-Merino V, Brumme CJ, Brumme ZL, Heckerman D, Allen TM, Mullins JI, Gomez G, Goulder PJ, Walker BD, Gatell JM, Clotet B, Korber BT, Sanchez J, Brander C 2011 Definition of the viral targets of protective HIV-1-specific T cell responses. Journal of translational medicine91208 pubmed