The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) causes an infectious disease that if left untreated can progress to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and be fatal. Finding a cure and more treatments for HIV has become a top priority in medical research, and due to the cost of synthetic HIV medication, finding a low-cost alternative is essential. Marine pharmacology has provided a possible solution to costly HIV medication through compounds derived from marine brown algae that inhibit the HIV-1 protease (PR). The objective of this study is to emphasize the necessity for further research in HIV-1 protease inhibition using marine wildlife-derived compounds. In order to better understand the process of protease inhibitors, I will investigate the process of producing and purifying HIV-1 PR, extracting and isolating brown algal compounds, and the assays used to test the inhibition effects of the brown alga compounds. This study demonstrates the potential of marine pharmacology as an inexpensive alternative to synthetic pharmaceuticals for HIV-1 PR inhibition
