Richard Baxter

Thioester-containing proteins (TEPs) are a large family of secreted proteins, including vertebrate complement factors and α2-macroglobulins, that perform multiple key roles in the innate immune response. Furthermore, insect TEPs, or iTEPs, are known factors that restrict the transmission of infectious diseases such as malaria and dengue by their insect vectors. My laboratory combines biochemical, biophysical and structural techniques to investigate the molecular function of TEPs and their interaction partners. Our goal is to better understand and eventually control to the spread of vector-borne diseases, and to discover new functions of TEPs in immunity and development with potential impact on inflammatory and neuromuscular diseases.