Natalia Freund Lab
for Human Antibody Responses

Our laboratory is studying the molecular basis of human antibody responses to diseases. Antibodies are key components of most licensed vaccines; nevertheless, many aspects of how antibodies recognize and neutralize their targets are still unknown. Pathogen-specific B cells are stimulated after antigen encounter and subsequently undergo affinity maturation and selection in distinct anatomical structures called germinal centers. After several rounds of affinity maturation and selection, some B cell clones acquire a high affinity for the antigen, and sometimes the ability to neutralize it.

 

To characterize the human responses to diseases we use single B cell methods and isolate the antibodies from patients at different disease stages. We focus on the human antibody responses towards infectious diseases such as HIV-1, Tuberculosis and SARS CoV-2, as well as B cell responses during cancer and under stress. Our ultimate goal is to exploit our knowledge of the human antibody responses for the development of new diagnostic tools, immune-treatments and for the discovery of new vaccine targets. 

 

The Freund Lab is aspiring to foster a creative and free academic environment that nurtures young scientists from diverse backgrounds.