Daved Fremont, PhD

Professor, Pathology & Immunology

Divisions

Immunobiology

Division: Immunobiology

Lab Phone: 314-747-4546
Office Location: CSRB, Room 7701

Titles

Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics
Professor, Molecular Microbiology

DBBS Graduate Program Affiliation

Member, Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences Admissions Committee

Service to the University

1999 – Present
Lecturer in Foundations in Immunology, Protein Structure and Function, Protein Crystallography, and Molecular Cell Biology

1998 – Present
Member, Molecular Biophysics Graduate Program Steering Committee

Research Interests

Our research group is focused on understanding surveillance processes of the immune system, and the sabotage mechanisms used by pathogens to evade detection and host-mediated elimination. We use the techniques of protein biochemistry, x-ray crystallography and computational biology to determine the three-dimensional structures of proteins and investigate their macromolecular interactions. Current interests of the lab include proteins associated with classical MHC antigen processing and presentation pathways, non-classical MHC family members and natural killer cell activating and inhibitory receptors. We are also actively studying a number of virally encoded proteins that enable host immune evasion. Large-DNA viruses (i.e. herpesviruses and poxviruses) have evolved a myriad of strategies that include the sabotage of antigen processing, the molecular mimicry of host signaling molecules and the sequestration of cytokines and chemokines by novel decoy receptors. Our approach to investigate these systems is based on the production of large quantities of soluble protein in heterologous expression systems, allowing for cognate ligand/ receptor discovery, biophysical interaction analyses, high-resolution structure determinations and targeted functional studies. Together, these approaches provide a wealth of information on the basic tools with which the immune system operates.

Selected Publications

WashU Medicine Profile

Assistant

Ellen Lockett

Administrative Professional