LPS and LTA: sticking, binding and anchoring? Using cutting-edge glycobiology to address molecular interactions of bacteria cell-wall biomarker with h

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and Lipoteichoic acid (LTA) from bacteria is an important activator of immune cells.

Their soluble form released from the bacterial cell-wall interact with an array of host molecules found "out, on or in" cells, and are thought to activate defense mechanisms. However, how these bacterial components engage in many interactions remains poorly understood.

The proposed project aims to define how the amphiphilic nature and the different domains of these molecules influence interactions and have a biological impact.

You will use cutting-edge chemical biology methods to generate novel tools enabling the study of these interactions at the molecular level.

Your first aim is to design LPS and/or LTA analogues able to dissect mechanisms of interaction using well-characterised cell lines combined with flow cytometry, imaging and biochemical techniques. Functional effects will then be validated using cell-stimulation assays.