Research Projects

Odorant binding proteins (OBPs) are a group of small secreted proteins mainly found dissolved in mucus lining the epithelia of nasal cavity and respiratory tract of vertebrates with their primary function being olfaction. The present study aims at understanding the role of OBPs in infection context. Primarily the study intends at identifying and mapping the interactions of microbial odorant compounds with OBPs, thereby deciphering their role in immune response to infection. The results will help in understanding if OBPs are the novel immune niches and thus have the potential to act as soluble pattern recognition receptors (sPRRs)of the innate immune system. Such studies are important in the current contexts as theory of cell autonomous immunity and role of non-conventional entities in immune responses are gaining grounds and will therefore help in identifying immune niches in humans apart from the classical components of immune responses and in revealing novel dimensions of host-pathogen interactions. For instance, mucous layer is always considered as a defence barrier largely due to the virtue of mucus secretion. However, many players in this location that contribute towards microbial recognition remain unknown. The work will also provide a clue towards ability of the immune system to sense danger through olfactory system and so will be of help in exploring novel dimension in nervous system----immune system cross talk during infections and if there are potential functional overlaps in recognition of signals between both the systems.