A trimer is a delicate, mushroom-shaped structure on the surface of the HIV virus, which functions as part of its defence shield. Katherine Dowson was drawn to its intricate fragile architecture, and, through laser etching, translated its microscopic complexity into eight distinct glass blocks. Each is inscribed with layers descending through the molecular scale, to the DNA strands in the centre – a fragile reconstruction of something both beautiful and formidable. These eight components represent the dispersed yet interconnected efforts of scientists and laboratories across the world looking for a cure. One cube stands alone, a metaphor for their continuing quest.