Our lab investigates how the vertebrate immune system discriminates between self and non-self on the basis of RNA structure and modifications. Using structural and biochemical approaches, our team focuses its attention on immune receptors and modulators involved in antiviral innate immune response. Our lab is also interested in other biological processes involving nucleic acids, such as transcriptional reprogramming and post-transcriptional regulation during development and maturation of the vertebrate immune system. Our work has implications for better understanding and treating viral infections and other diseases, such as autoimmune-based inflammatory disorders and cancer.
We are currently focusing on these topics:
- Antiviral Innate Immunity
- Nucleic acid biology of the immune system-AIRE
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Nucleic acid biology of the immune system-FoxP3
We use a combination of crystallography, electron microscopy, biochemistry, and cell biology to dissect molecular principles that govern these molecules in the vertebrate immune system