Molecular and Structural Immunology – MSI

Topics

• Signal transduction of immune cell receptors, cytokine and chemokine receptors, costimulatory molecules, Fc high and low affinity receptors, NK cell receptors, cell adhesion and migration receptors, pattern recognition receptors
• Epigenetic, transcriptional, post-transcriptional, translational, and post-translational regulation of individual genes involved in immune cell development, differentiation, or response to environmental signals or cytokines. 
• Structural, biophysical, and biochemical studies of immune molecules such as antigen receptors, antigens, cytokine receptors, costimulatory molecules, Fc high and low affinity receptors, NK cell receptors, adhesion and migration receptors, MHC molecules.
• Basic studies on the structure and design of antibodies 
• Basic molecular mechanisms of immune cells and proteins, including intracellular signaling pathways and gene regulation; applies to both the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system.
• Basic immunology studies on the genetic and epigenetic causes of inborn errors of immunity/primary immunodeficiencies. 

Shared Interests and Overlaps

There are shared interests with Innate Immunity A (IIDA (81)) Applications that focus on the development, differentiation, and immunobiology of innate immune cells may be reviewed in IIDA (81), whereas applications focused on molecular signaling or structure/functional studies of immune molecules and receptors may be reviewed in MSI.

There are shared interests with Innate Immunity B (IIB). Applications that emphasize a more integrated signaling response between innate immune cells resulting from infection or injury may be reviewed in IIB. Applications that emphasize fundamental aspects of immune signaling biology, such as molecular structures and intracellular signaling cascades of pathways associated with innate immune receptors, may be reviewed in MSI.

There are shared interests with Adaptive Immunity (AI). Applications that emphasize cellular or intercellular process related to adaptive immune system development, differentiation, function and molecular mechanisms underlying such biological processes may be reviewed in AI, whereas applications that emphasize molecular/structural, biophysical, biochemical, and signaling aspects of immune cells or proteins may be reviewed in MSI.

There are shared interests with the Immunity and Host Defense (IHD) and Lung Immunology and Infection (LII) study sections. Applications focused on the protective immune response to a specific pathogen may be reviewed in IHD,or LII if the immune response that leads to pathology is localized to the lung.  Applications focused on the structural, biochemical and/or biophysical aspects of the immune response irrespective of the tissue site may be reviewed in MSI.

There are shared interests with Drug Discovery and Molecular Pharmacology A (DMPA) in antibody analyses. Applications that focus on antibodies as potential therapeutics may be reviewed in DMPA. Applications addressing all other aspects of immune responses may be reviewed in MSI.

There are shared interests in mechanisms that regulate immune responses with Cellular Signaling and Regulatory System (CSRS). Applications that emphasize intracellular signaling mechanisms related to propagation and attenuation of immune responses with respect to cellular physiology may be reviewed in CSRS. Applications that address immune cell signaling, transcriptional/epigenetic regulation of specific genes, and structural biology of immune cell proteins may be reviewed in MSI.

There are shared interests with Molecular Genetics (MG) in the areas of gene regulation and expression. Applications that focus mainly on genetics, gene regulation, histone regulation and control, and epigenetics may be reviewed in MG, whereas applications that focus is on the immunological outcome of such studies may be reviewed in MSI.

There are shared interests with Macromolecular Structure and Function A, B, C (MSFA, MSFB, MSFC) in mathematical modeling, computational biology, and structure analyses. Applications that focus generally on macromolecule structure/function, bioinformatics, and computer modeling may be reviewed in MSFA, MSFB, or MSFC. Applications with a focus on the immunological outcome of such studies may be reviewed in MSI.