Ward Doelman

The cells of the immune system utilize various carbohydrate binding receptors, so-called lectins, to detect and internalize carbohydrate containing proteins and pathogens. Each of these lectins have different carbohydrate-binding specificity and internalize their bound ligands to different cellular compartments. By designing and synthesizing glycoclusters that bind selectively to these different lectins, we aim to target both peptide-based vaccines and protease inhibitors to different cellular compartments. This way, we hope to alter antigen processing and presentation, ultimately improving the immune response against select antigens.