Protein glycosylation in bacterial systems has been known since 40 years. Still, knowledge of biosynthesis and biological implications of glycans is limited. This Master Thesis intends to unravel the immunogenicity of a complex glycan present on the cell surface of the oral pathogen T. forsythia.

We will work on adhesion/invasion experiments of mutant strains having different glycan forms. In cooperation with the Children´s Cancer Research Institute (Vienna) we will examine the triggered immune responses by measuring interleukins and cytokines (IL-1β,
IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α) using qPCR and ELISA techniques as well as T-cell stimulations.

Please contact either
Ao. Univ.-Prof. DI Dr Christina Schäffer christina.schaeffer@boku.ac.at
or
DI Markus Tomek markus.tomek@boku.ac.at