The goal of this project is to investigate the structural, biochemical and biophysical mechanisms of proteins and complexes involved in immunity to help broaden our understanding of immune system proteins, their interactions with microbes and the functional outcomes of those interactions. This involves investigating the assembly, structures and functions of mucosal antibodies in order to understand how these remarkable complexes protect vertebrates from external factors (e.g. pathogens) and how they can be engineered to treat disease.  The image shows engineered antibodies (green) bound to host pathogens in mouse lung (red). The image was taken with the Ultramicroscope, and 3D-segmented with Imaris Software.