Infection and Immunity
Infection and Immunity
The following groups perform research in this area:
Molecular mechanisms of T cell activation and differentiation
We are interested in understanding how T cells, central actors of adaptive immune responses, become activated when they encounter foreign substances. Dissecting the molecular underpinning of this process may lead to the discovery new and more effective ways to diagnose, prevent and heal immune dysfunction...
DNA repair mechanisms and human disease
Our genome is constantly exposed to various types of DNA damage, both endogenous and exogenous. It has been estimated that the DNA in every cell of our body suffers thousands of DNA lesions per day, which, if left unattended, can lead to mutations and/or cell death. Our cells have evolved a variety of mechanisms to counteract...
Structural cell biology of bacterial biofilm formation
Rather than living as single, isolated cells in liquid cultures, most bacteria on this planet form macroscopic, surface-attached, multi-cellular communities known as biofilms. Bacterial biofilms play a role in many diseases and medical conditions including cystic fibrosis, bone, wound and urinary tract infections....
Molecular interactions of leukoctye surface receptors
We study how immune regulation depends on molecular interactions of leukocyte surface receptors. The overall effect of a receptor can vary from activation to inhibition. It is critical to understand how this is controlled to interpret the role of a receptor in a complex biological system and for designing therapeutic...
Molecular immunology of signal integration by T cell surface receptors
T cells are important white blood cells that continually circulate in the body in search of the molecular signatures ('antigens') of infection and cancer. When encountering such antigens T cells become activated and subsequently initiate immune responses in order to clear these threats. Their...
Exploring the interface between immunology and regenerative medicine
Although the dramatic increase in life expectancy over the past century is arguably one of medicine’s greatest successes, it is also responsible for the rising incidence of chronic and degenerative diseases throughout the developed world. The properties of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) offer an...
Influenza virus replication at the molecular level
Influenza viruses are important human and animal pathogens. They cause widespread clinical and veterinary disease and have a considerable economic impact. Our laboratory focuses on the fundamental molecular mechanisms of influenza virus replication, aiming to understand the molecular determinants of host range and...
Cell biology of intercellular signalling
The main questions we study are what cellular mechanisms regulate signalling between animal cells, and how does that signalling control biological functions like physiology, development and pathology?
Regulation of inflammatory responses in vivo
Inflammation is the response of vascularised tissues to injury, metabolic disturbance and infection. Acute inflammation typically lasts only a few days while chronic inflammation can last for months or years, and is a defining feature of many important human diseases including rheumatoid arthritis and coronary heart disease...
Macrophage modulation during viral infection and neuroinflammation
Tissue macrophages, including the microglia in the brain, act as critical sentinels to defend us against infection. Consequently, pathogens such as HIV have developed ways of circumventing the defensive functions of macrophages in order to establish chronic infection. Moreover, their persistence in...