Sandia researchers have designed and fabricated a hyperspectral confocal microscope that can be used to investigate host–pathogen interactions in biological specimens.
Sandia bioscience researchers are investigating host–pathogen interactions to provide a deeper understanding of how diseases originate and develop, as well as new ways to detect, interdict, and mitigate emerging infectious diseases. Our bioscience researchers are focusing their efforts in cellular-signaling pathways on those that are known to be important to host–pathogen interactions. They are also working on the structure and dynamics of the early stages of host–pathogen interactions, including studies of toll-like receptors, receptor–ligand interactions, and receptor–receptor interactions.
By exploring the biological principles underlying known and emerging infectious diseases, our researchers are accelerating the development of technologies to detect and diagnose biological weapons that threaten the security of our homeland and our troops.
Following are some examples of ways in which Sandia biological scientists are studying host–pathogen interactions:
- Microscale Immune and Cell Analysis (MICA). An integrated platform for single-cell manipulation and cellular-signaling interrogation, leading to discoveries in innate immunity and host–pathogen interactions at the molecular level.
- Nuclear translocation kinetics of NF-B in macrophages challenged with pathogens in a microfluidic platform. A project that demonstrated the first live imaging of host-cell infection on a microfluidic platform with quantitative analysis of an early immune-signaling event. The device, which was developed for real-time imaging of host–pathogen interactions and cellular-signaling events, can capture and isolate single host cells to differentiate between primary and secondary immune signaling.
- Reverse-genetic approaches to viability and host–pathogen studies of biodefense priority viruses. A project that is addressing the need for pathogen viability technology development by adapting minigenome methodology to create novel host sensor strains capable of rapidly detecting live RNA viruses of biodefense concern.
- Viral hemorrhagic fever pathogenesis. A systems biology project that is using a microfluidic cell-isolation platform to discover how viruses provoke lethal cytokine production.
