Muskego Student Creates Filter that Removes HIV from Breast Milk

Muskego native Kimberli Kamer has invented a method for removing the HIV-1 virus from breast milk, and she said she was inspired to do so when she read of how easily the virus could be passed from mother to baby through breastfeeding.

Kamer was recently named the 2nd place winner in the 16th annual UW-Madison Innovation Days competition. The win means that Kamer will receive $7,000 and the possibility that her invention could become a marketable product.

"We wanted to find a way to allow mothers with HIV in developed countries to be able to breastfeed and not have to rely on formula," she said via email. "Breastfeeding has many advantages over formula, not the least of which, formula is expensive!" The filter would enable the milk to retain the nutrients babies need.

Kamer said she was also interested in helping mothers in Africa, where HIV is prevalent, avoid using formula. Not only is formula expensive and hard to come by a lot of the time, but many villages don't have access to clean water so babies get sick from mixing formula with the water.

"We wanted to find a low cost method of filtering out the HIV particles from breast milk while allowing the (nutrients) through," Kamer added.

Traditional methods of filtering weren't feasible because HIV particles are so small, Kamer continued. 

"Traditional size exclusion methods of filtration were not an option for us, which left us some space to do something novel," she stated.

After graduation, Kamer said she plans to further her education and obtain a Ph.D. in chemical biology.

For Innovation Days, 37 students submitted 23 inventions for consideration, and they were judged on both their ingenuity as well as the potential marketability of their invention. A press release from the UW-Madison College of Engineering states, "Innovation Days is an opportunity for all UW-Madison students to compete for Innovation Days is designed to foster creativity and entrepreneurship in students and give them experience with prototype-building and intellectual property."