Nano-Immunology
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Oxford
Department Name: UNLISTED
Abstract
Research by my group aims to unravel nanoscopic changes at the molecular level in living cells to characterise important molecular processes on the cell membrane as well as inside the cell during immunological reactions. Because many cellular responses lead to changes so subtle at the molecular level, studying them requires us to not only observe them with a superior spatial resolution but also to reach a sensitivity that is able to monitor single molecules over time and space. We are using the newest and most powerful super-resolution far-field microscopes (such as STED, RESOLFT or PALM/STORM) to image and analyse cellular structures and protein-protein and protein-lipid interactions at a level of fine detail that until now has not been possible due to the limited spatial resolution of conventional optical far-field microscopes. By combining these super-resolution microscopy techniques with single-molecule sensitive detection methods (such as fluorescence correlation spectroscopy) and fast spatio-temporal tracking tools we are able to see complex dynamic processes otherwise invisible because of the lower power of conventional far-field microscopy. These molecular interactions play an important role in the immune response to infection and cancer and so we intend to use and further develop these advanced microscopy techniques and apply them to gather new insights in immunological research.
Technical Summary
Single-molecule super-resolution microscopy of membrane dynamics: Many cellular responses lead to subtle changes on the molecular level, demanding not only for a superior spatial resolution of the analyzing method but also for the sensitivity to monitor single molecules over time and space. The combination of super-resolution optical fluorescence STED microscopy with single-molecule sensitive fluorescence-detection tools such as Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS) as well as the fast spatio-temporal tracking of single labeled molecules (single-particle tracking, SPT) allows for the disclosure of complex dynamic processes otherwise impeded by the limited spatial resolution of conventional far-field microscopy. For example, STED-FCS or SPT offer us the possibility to gain novel insights into important cellular processes, such as lipid-lipid, lipid-protein, and protein-protein interactions and the formation of so-called “lipid-rafts” in the cellular plasma membrane. These molecular interactions play an important role in the cellular immune response. We will therefore apply and further develop the STED-FCS and SPT microscopy techniques to highlight important molecular processes on the plasma membrane as well as inside the cell during immunological reactions. For example, these techniques will be used to shed new light on different molecular pathways triggered at the cell surface and intracellularly during antigen presentation by dendritic cells and T cell activation.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
Christian Eggeling (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Zhurgenbayeva G
(2023)
Quantification of biophysical properties of candidalysin, a fungal peptide toxin secreted by C. albicans during invasion
in Biophysical Journal
Yang T
(2023)
Excited-State Dynamics in Borylated Arylisoquinoline Complexes in Solution and in cellulo.
in Chemistry (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)
Xiong Y
(2018)
Correction: Spironaphthoxazine switchable dyes for biological imaging.
in Chemical science
Xiong Y
(2018)
Spironaphthoxazine switchable dyes for biological imaging.
in Chemical science
Wallace Z
(2022)
Immune mobilising T cell receptors redirect polyclonal CD8+ T cells in chronic HIV infection to form immunological synapses
in Scientific Reports
Waithe D
(2020)
Object detection networks and augmented reality for cellular detection in fluorescence microscopy.
in The Journal of cell biology
Waithe D
(2018)
Optimized processing and analysis of conventional confocal microscopy generated scanning FCS data.
in Methods (San Diego, Calif.)
Van Der Velde JHM
(2017)
Corrigendum: A simple and versatile design concept for fluorophore derivatives with intramolecular photostabilization.
in Nature communications
Van Der Velde JHM
(2018)
Author Correction: A simple and versatile design concept for fluorophore derivatives with intramolecular photostabilization.
in Nature communications
Van Der Velde JHM
(2017)
Corrigendum: A simple and versatile design concept for fluorophore derivatives with intramolecular photostabilization.
in Nature communications
Urbancic I
(2023)
Do lipids tune B cell signaling?
in Nature chemical biology
Urbancic I
(2021)
Aggregation and mobility of membrane proteins interplay with local lipid order in the plasma membrane of T cells.
in FEBS letters
Urbancic I
(2018)
Nanoparticles Can Wrap Epithelial Cell Membranes and Relocate Them Across the Epithelial Cell Layer.
in Nano letters
Tröger J
(2020)
Comparison of Multiscale Imaging Methods for Brain Research.
in Cells
Torralba J
(2020)
Cholesterol Constrains the Antigenic Configuration of the Membrane-Proximal Neutralizing HIV-1 Epitope.
in ACS infectious diseases
Stumpf B
(2021)
Protein induced lipid demixing in homogeneous membranes
in Physical Review Research
Steinkühler J
(2019)
Mechanical properties of plasma membrane vesicles correlate with lipid order, viscosity and cell density.
in Communications biology
Stanly TA
(2020)
The cortical actin network regulates avidity-dependent binding of hyaluronan by the lymphatic vessel endothelial receptor LYVE-1.
in The Journal of biological chemistry
Sieben C
(2020)
Influenza A viruses use multivalent sialic acid clusters for cell binding and receptor activation.
in PLoS pathogens
Sezgin E
(2017)
Polarity-Sensitive Probes for Superresolution Stimulated Emission Depletion Microscopy.
in Biophysical journal
Related Projects
Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Award Value |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
MC_UU_00008/1 | 31/03/2017 | 30/03/2023 | £2,738,000 | ||
MC_UU_00008/2 | Transfer | MC_UU_00008/1 | 31/03/2017 | 30/03/2023 | £1,821,000 |
MC_UU_00008/3 | Transfer | MC_UU_00008/2 | 31/03/2017 | 30/03/2023 | £2,257,000 |
MC_UU_00008/4 | Transfer | MC_UU_00008/3 | 31/03/2017 | 30/03/2023 | £1,459,000 |
MC_UU_00008/5 | Transfer | MC_UU_00008/4 | 31/03/2017 | 30/03/2023 | £1,346,000 |
MC_UU_00008/6 | Transfer | MC_UU_00008/5 | 31/03/2017 | 30/03/2023 | £1,660,000 |
MC_UU_00008/7 | Transfer | MC_UU_00008/6 | 31/03/2017 | 30/03/2023 | £401,000 |
MC_UU_00008/8 | Transfer | MC_UU_00008/7 | 31/03/2017 | 31/03/2024 | £2,876,000 |
MC_UU_00008/9 | Transfer | MC_UU_00008/8 | 31/03/2017 | 30/03/2023 | £2,568,000 |
MC_UU_00008/10 | Transfer | MC_UU_00008/9 | 31/03/2017 | 30/03/2023 | £2,060,000 |
MC_UU_00008/11 | Transfer | MC_UU_00008/10 | 31/03/2017 | 30/03/2023 | £1,477,000 |