Thesis supervisor: Csaba Pál
Location of studies (in Hungarian): MTA Biological Research Centre Abbreviation of location of studies: SzBK
Description of the research topic:
We are focusing on HLA molecules. By binding to short peptide fragments of human and pathogen-associated proteins, they play a crucial role in triggering immune tolerance or a destructive immune response. Genes encoding these molecules show the highest variability in the human genome. Some variants are generalists and can bind an especially large number of different peptide sequences. We showed that these variants are prevalent in pathogen-rich geographical regions, because individuals carrying these molecules are more likely to recognize and destroy the large number of different pathogen species. We are now focusing on the following issues:
What are the drawbacks of carrying generalist HLA molecules (autoimmunity, allergy, a less effective immune response due to reduced specificity)?
Are individuals carrying generalist HLA molecules more likely to respond to vaccination
Required language skills: English Further requirements: - Basic programming skills, because computational analyses dominate the research
- Good problem-solving skills
- Logical thinking