Infection and Immunology
The Infection and Immunology programme applies contemporary molecular techniques, including structural and functional genomics, to study fundamental mechanisms of microbial and eukaryotic cell-cell interactions, differentiation, and community development. The Oral Microbiology group, led by Professor Howard Jenkinson, focuses on defining mechanisms by which oral micro-organisms colonize surfaces, form communities (biofilms), invade tissues, and establish systemic infections such as bacterial endocarditis. These studies have broad implications in that oral microbiology research is addressing not just important issues in dentistry but also within the context of general microbiology in health and disease. The Inflammation and Immunology group, led by Professor Jim Middleton, studies how leukocytes and stem cells migrate and accumulate in inflamed tissues. The research is relevant to inflammatory diseases such as periodontitis, rheumatoid arthritis and atherosclerosis. In addition, there are studies on keratinocyte cell biology in terms of differentiation, proliferation and host immune responses. A range of malignant oral keratinocyte and stem cell lines developed by the group are widely used by the scientific community.