Structural studies of host-pathogen interactions

宿主-病原体界面代表了生物医学和生物技术应用的主要前沿。这个项目的目的是在原子级理解两个这样的接口。首先，该项目将阐明痘病毒，特别是牛痘和天花病毒（天花的病原体）抑制宿主细胞过早死亡的分子基础。 在第二种情况下，目的是了解防御素（一种主要的宿主防御分子）如何识别真菌等微生物靶标，并发挥有效的抗菌作用。了解这些宿主-病原体界面的精确分子机制，将为抗病毒和抗微生物药物的设计提供新的途径。

The host-pathogen interface represents a major frontier for biomedical and biotechnological applications. This project aims to understand at the atomic level two such interfaces. In the first instance, the project will elucidate the molecular basis for inhibition of premature host cell death by poxviruses, in particular vaccinia and variola virus, the causative agent of smallpox. In the second instance, the aim is to understand how defensins, a major class of host defence molecules, recognise microbial targets such as fungi, and exert a potent antimicrobial effect. Understanding the precise molecular mechanisms operating at both these host-pathogen interfaces this will provide novel avenues for the design of antiviral and antimicrobial agents.