Defining the cytokine-modulated complexome to understand antigen processing and presentation

Antigen presentation is the fundamental and complex process in which a cell breaks down proteins into small fragments (peptides) and presents these on its surface to activate or modulate immune cells. This process is affected by the activity of cytokines, molecules secreted by various immune cells that initiate intracellular signalling cascades in target cells, resulting in the upregulation of many proteins, including those involved in antigen processing/presentation. However, it is WHERE a protein localises within a cell and WHAT other proteins it interacts with (i.e. the “complexome”) that underpins its function in most areas of cell biology. This project will therefore dissect protein-protein interactions and multi-protein assemblies within distinct subcellular sites to understand how cytokines remodel the antigen processing/presentation pathway during an immune response. If you have a keen interest in immunology, this exciting project could expose you to a wide range of cutting-edge techniques, including flow cytometry, subcellular fractionation, size exclusion chromatography and high-throughput quantitative mass spectrometry. Importantly, the project has the potential to transform our understanding of a key aspect of immunology relevant to many aspects of human health, including infection, cancer and autoimmunity.