Welcome to Colin Watts Lab Group

We are interested in the earliest stages of the immune response when pathogens and their products are first detected by immune cells. Antigens released at this time are captured and processed by antigen presenting cells, particularly dendritic cells. This key step leads to the display of antigenic peptides on Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecules and following the migration of dendritic cells displaying these peptide/MHC complexes to lymphoid organs, the activation of the T lymphocytes of the immune system. We use a wide variety of biochemical, cell biological and immunological approaches to investigate these events. Increased knowledge in this area will aid the design of vaccines that trigger robust and effective immune responses. Our lab is located in the Division of Cell Biology and Immunology in the College of Life Sciences. Our work covers 3 related areas. Click on the links below to find out more.