Douglas Lab

In collaboration with Dr. Allen Harmsen’s group, we have observed that administration of non-infectious protein cage nanoparticles results in formation of inducible bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (iBALT), and that mice receiving protein cages show enhanced protection when subsequently challenged with lethal doses of respiratory viruses.  The Douglas lab focuses on the engineering of protein cage nanoparticles in an effort to understand the properties of the cages important for iBALT formation and protection.  This research aids in the development of materials that could enhance immune responses to a broad spectrum of respiratory viruses.