Bugs or Us: Immunity and the Battle for Survival
15 May 2008 at the Merrion Room, RDS
Free of charge, but must be booked in advance
Daily battles are fought within the human body against all sorts of microbes. Mostly, these battles are resolved successfully unbeknownst to us, however our defences can be breached. Viruses like HIV, flu and Hep C and bacteria like Mycobacterium tuberculosis, MRSA and Campylobacter have all evolved ways of attacking and overcoming host defence mechanisms.
Prof Cliona O’Farrelly is particularly interested in ‘Comparative Immunomics’ which involves the examination of the immune systems from different species to determine how they influence the host’s susceptibility to important pathogens. Through the identification of species-specific and individual-specific differences in immune genes and molecules she and her team hope to soon be able to develop target directed therapies.
For further details on this presentation see www.rds.ie/science/lectures
