VIB Department of Molecular and Cellular Interactions, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Department Director : Lode Wyns

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Science
Molecular Immunology and Immunochemistry are at the origin of the department. The last decade, the interests of the lab broadened steadily as various topics in the fields of Immunology, Parasitiology and Ultrastructure were tackled. Today, we are focussing our research efforts along two major lines. Within the immunology, we are emphasising cellular and applied immunology with major ramifications into parasitology. Our structural biology program mainly concentrates on protein structure, function and design.
Dr. P. De Baetselier, the group leader of the immunology team combines cellular and molecular approaches to study host-parasite and host-tumour interactions. The immunobiology of macrophages and the field of innate immunity have become the central research topics of his lab. The complex networks of effector molecules, causing differential developmental pathways and leading to heterogeneous macrophage populations are a first topic of analysis. Host-trypanosome interactions leading to successive macrophage activation are studied in particular, focussing on aspects of parasite control, immunopathology and immunosuppression. The fundamental aspects of the classic and the alternative pathways leading to the activation of macrophages and antigen presenting cells are at the heart of the more applied research. The steering of these pathways can be considered as the fundamental core of ongoing vaccine development work. The discovery and characterisation of the CCF -Coelomic Cytolytic Factor- of  Eisenia foetida has lead to a comparative immunology program and to the definition of new innate immunity functions. Evolutionary, these proteins exhibit a convergence of functions with the vertebrate cytokine TNF, recognising a vast amount of arrays of pathogen-associated carbohydrates.
The work on heavy chain camelid antibodies has been one of the major hallmarks of the department, bridging the immunological and protein chemistry branches of our group. The team, led by Dr. S. Muyldermans has analyzed the subject from the level of gene organisation, over immunochemistry and antibody structure, going to diverse biotechnological applications. The latter has resulted in a recently founded spin-off company, named Ablynx.
The understanding of the function of a protein, from its structure to its dynamics, remains the central theme of the Structural Biology group, headed by Dr. Lode Wyns. This question is addressed at different levels of resolution and complexity. Ligand binding and catalysis are studied from the molecular down to the atomic level. Historically, the structural lectin work, mastered by Dr. R. Loris, functioned as a stepping stone for the development of our crystallography skills. In combination with calorimetry, this work has allowed us to address and solve fundamental carbohydrate recognition problems. Currently, we are facing a reorientation of our work from the "good old" leguminous lectins to bacterial adhesion systems. Moreover, the biology of the complex regulatory circuitry operational in bacterial plasmid addiction remains a project of choice. The unique interplay between the different protein players and the operator DNA involves differential stabilities of protein monomers and oligomers and leads to difficult "phase diagrams" that are currently poorly understood.
Building on our expertise in structural biology, we initiated the bacterial physiology program, dissecting the complex networks of macromolecular interactions that are at the basis of transmembrane-transport of outer-membrane structures and fimbrial assembly. This creates a link with the group led by Dr. P. Cornelis. In his team, siderophore-mediated iron uptake systems and the targets they present for development of new antimicrobial agents are being pursued. The research topics include the characterisation of siderophore receptors and the biosynthesis of pyoverdines.
Under the impulse of Dr. J. Steyaert, Enzymology and Protein Engineering has developed into a mature subject. The coming years a new broad research initiative will be developed on the ribonucleoside hydrolases, aiming to validate these enzymes as targets for the rational design of drugs and prodrugs. Arsenate reductase unveils its evolutionary links with phosphotyrosine phosphatases and develops into a great story of subtle enzymology involving intricate redox cascades. It is our system of choice to further elaborate protein dynamics and to strengthen links between X-ray studies and NMR dynamics.

Structure
The Department of Molecular and Cellular Interactions is structured around the following group and project leaders and research themes:

• Lode Wyns: understanding proteins - structural studies of camelid antibodies
• Remy Loris: programmed bacterial cell death and plasmid addiction
• Pierre Cornelis: pseudomonas research
• Jan Steyaert: enzymes
• Han Remaut: VIB independent research group: Structural Molecular Microbiology
• Serge Muyldermans: camel heavy chain antibodies and single-domain antibodies
• Patrick De Baetselier: cellular immunology
• Stefan Magez: (immuno)parasitology
• Nico van Nuland: biomolecular NMR
• Jeroen Raes: bioinformatics and (eco)systems biology
  

An introduction to their work can be found on the individual pages.

Departmental support
The members listed below are working on a departmental level providing general support . The team members within the individual Research Groups are listed on their specific pages.

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