A Paradox and Alan Rein: Distinguished Retrovirologist Retires from the HIV DRP

In 1953, a teenaged Alan Rein read about what James Watson and Francis Crick famously called “the secret of life”—the double-helix structure of DNA, which had just been published in Nature. Captivated, Rein decided at that moment that he wanted to be a biochemist. Rein’s biochemistry aspirations shifted to virology during college, leading him to a 60-year career in the field, the last 45 years of which were spent at NCI Frederick, studying how retroviruses like murine leukemia virus and HIV assemble themselves and infect host cells while somehow evading the immune response.
By Lisa Simpson, staff writer
01.14.2025

In the News

Health & Safety | Back to School: Keeping Yourself Mentally and Physically Healthy

As summer ends, many students will be heading off to college. While it may be an exciting time of year, there are a lot of things to take into consideration. College means new experiences and knowledge, but it can also mean stress and anxiety for some students. Not to mention, there’s always the potential for illness.
By Sarah Hooper, Manager Occupational Health Services; Nicole Pohida, Luke Forsberg, and Smruti Hariprakasha, Student Interns; photos by Richard Frederickson, Staff Photographer 09.27.2016
Health & Safety Influenza Meningitis Anxiety Stress September 2016

Technology Transfer | What Is Technology Transfer?

The NCI Technology Transfer Center (TTC) facilitates partnerships between NIH research laboratories and external partners. With a team of technology transfer specialists, NCI TTC guides interactions from discovery to patenting, as well as from collaboration and invention development to licensing.
By Michele Newton, Guest Writer; contributed image 09.20.2016
Technology Transfer Science & Technology September 2016

People | A Helping Hand in the Frederick Community—Ross Smith

By day, Ross Smith is the compliance and security officer for Data Management Services, Inc., assigned to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) at Frederick. His role is to ensure the secure operation of in-house computer systems, servers, and network connections. But in his spare time, Smith is also a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician (EMT).
By Nathalie Walker, Student Intern; contributed images 09.07.2016
People Community Data Management Services September 2016

Students | WHK Interns Dominate Student Jeopardy Tournament

A field of study that derives its name from the Latin root for “knowledge”—student interns had a shot at that clue for 200 points in the 10th annual Student Science Jeopardy Tournament, but their minds went blank. Answer: What is Science?
By Kaylee Towey, WHK Student Intern; photos by Richard Frederickson, Staff Photographer 09.02.2016
Students Community Events September 2016

Publications | Platinum Publications, July 1–July 28, 2016

Platinum Publications are selected from articles by NCI at Frederick scientists published in 42 prestigious science journals. This list represents articles published during the time period shown above, as generated from PubMed. Articles designated as Platinum Highlights are noteworthy articles selected by Dr. Craig Reynolds, associate director, National Cancer Institute, from among the most recently published Platinum Publications.
Platinum Publications 09.01.2016
Publications Platinum Publications September 2016