My group studies the interactions of the human immune system with pathogens and allergens. We are interested in the ways by which pathogens and allergens deregulate or deceive the immune system, and how such processes influence human health. In addition, our research interests include mechanisms of bacterial growth in mammalian host organisms, with a special emphasis on a microorganism’s ability to acquire nutrients from the host. We are using multiple experimental and computational techniques in a “from atoms to animals/humans” approach, which is very effective for tackling complex biological problems. In such an approach, in vitro functional and structural analyses of macromolecules are subsequently correlated with studies of in vivo systems, like cells and model organisms.
Currently there are approximately 1100 officially registered allergens, and less than 10% of them have an experimentally determined three-dimensional structure. We believe that large scale structural studies are indispensable for significantly improving our knowledge of allergens and their impact on human health. Thus, as a first approach we are using structural biology techniques (especially X-ray crystallography) to obtain experimental models of proteins of interest.