Sun Hur, Ph.D.

Research

Correct recognition of non-self molecules is important for the efficient immune response against a target pathogen, whereas incorrect recognition of self molecules can trigger an inappropriate response resulting in autoimmune or inflammatory diseases such as type I diabetes, arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. Our lab focuses on the functions and mechanisms of several pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) that specifically recognize viral nucleic acids, such as several Toll like receptors and RIG-I-like helicases. We use a multidisciplinary approach including X-ray crystallography, computational simulation, biochemical and biophysical methods in conjunction with various cell biology techniques to characterize the mechanisms underlying viral RNA recognition.