Center for Zoonoses Research at the University of Illinois
Veterinary Student Summer Training Program
2008 Mentor Profile
Richard Tapping
Assistant Professor ,
Micrbiology
Title
Project Description:
The Tapping lab is investigating mechanisms by which the human body senses infection. Specifically, the lab studies a group of cell surface molecules known as Toll-like receptors which directly recognize specific structural components of viral, microbial, and fungal origin. This recognition event alerts the body to the presence of these infectious agents and initiates cellular responses leading to stimulation of antimicrobial defenses, production of inflammatory molecules, and initiation of cellular events that lead to effective adaptive immunity. Within this framework, the lab studies biochemical aspects of TLR recognition, subcellular trafficking of TLRs, regulation of TLR responses, and ultimately, TLR function using knock-out mice as model systems. In clinical studies, the lab is also identifying novel genetic polymorphisms in the human population and assessing their association with tuberculosis and inflammatory bowel disease.