University of California at Berkeley

This program project studies the interplay between pathogens and the immune system using mouse and several intracellular pathogens as model experimental systems. The experimental approaches take advantage of 2-photon imaging to track pathogens and immune cells within tissues in real-time, and transgenic/knockout mice to explore the role of specific molecule and cells in immune responses. The investigators in this proposal are an interactive group of immunologists/microbiologists, who are actively investigating host-pathogen interactions. 

The projects include:                                 

1 Studies of innate and adaptive immunity to
Toxoplasma gondii.

2 Investigation of the tumor necrosis factor receptor family
member TRAIL-R and the adapter protein FADD,
in innate immunity.

3 Examination of NK cell receptor NKG2D ligands
in innate immune signaling pathway.