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 p...