“Crystallography enables us to see a single atom in the highest
resolution now in existence. ” Dirk Zajonc, Ph.D. Assistant
Member detailed lab report  cell-bullet2.jpg1) Lipid
Presentation by CD1  Our lab is interested in the structural
basis of lipid antigen presentation and recognition in cell-
mediated immunity. Toward this goal, we determine the three-
dimensional structure of CD1 antigen receptors in complex with
different lipids by x-ray crystallography. Similar to peptide
presenting MHC class I molecules, cell surface expression of CD1
antigen receptors is a crucial event in initiating the cellular
immune response against glycolipid molecules from invading
pathogens and in tumor suppression. The T cell receptor (TCR)
repertoire can respond to a broad pool of self and foreign
antigens presented by CD1 molecules and can trigger killing of
the antigen presenting cell, through cytotoxic T lymphocytes
(CTLs), or recruit help (T helper cells) from the humoral immune
system through production of soluble antibo