Bubeck lab

Structural Immunology Laboratory

My research group explores fundamental mechanisms in immunity and how pathogens hijack cellular pathways during infection. We create and apply novel membrane systems to understand how information is relayed across cellular membranes and use cryo electron microscopy to visualize protein complexes in a lipid environment. 

One of the key questions we are trying to answer is how an immune pore called the membrane attack complex (MAC) forms on lipid membranes and kills bacterial pathogens. Our lab solved the first MAC structure and discovered molecular drivers underpinning its sequential assembly. We explore how immune activation changes biophysical properties of the membrane to provide a general mechanism for how proteins cross lipid bilayers.  

Although a potent weapon of immune defence, MAC formed on human cells can cause disease. We are fascinated by the interplay between immune activation and cellular pathways. Using cryo electron microscopy, we have solved structures of inhibited MAC and now aim to explore their impact on cell signalling and membrane remodelling. Our structural models may then underpin the discovery of new therapeutics that regulate inflammatory and disease pathways.