Philip Sell

Philip was technically trained in microbiology and virology. He received his B.S. in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics from UCLA, and M.S. in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology from USC. His thesis work on the role of desaturase enzymes in adaptive survival mechanisms of Mycobacterium tuberculosis discovered new potential drug targets. He significantly contributed to the understanding of severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) through projects ranging from brief pilot studies to extensive, multi-month endeavors, including efficacy of therapeutic compounds, testing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, generating substantial datasets from clinical samples, and validating HVAC air purification systems. His research and experiences, and desire to develop novel therapies for debilitating and fatal human diseases, have led to the founding of Metaba. At Metaba, we aim to bring much needed innovation to treatment strategies for infectious diseases and to provide our expertise in metabolomics to help advance informative care solutions for population health.

March 2025