Research Fields

Microorganisms actively interact with the host through their cell wall structures. Even though commensal and pathogenic bacteria share similar cell wall structures, they induce distinctly different immunological characteristics. Accumulating reports have suggested that microorganisms display unique structures of microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs), thereby augmenting different immune responses by the host. In our laboratory, we prepare highly-pure and structurally-intact MAMPs from various bacteria and investigate their structural differences and their immunological functions in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we have generated various MAMP-deficient bacteria to better understand microbes-host interaction. Based on the molecular mechanisms of microbes-host interaction, we can target key molecule(s) to effectively control microbial infections.