Defense mechanisms of innate immunity against influenza virus

Influenza virus represents a major worldwide health problem and influenza pandemics are amongst the deadliest disease events for humans and many animal species. Although it is known that the innate immune system represents the first line of defense against the virus, the mechanism by which it is activated in response to influenza virus remains to be elucidated. This project aims to study the interaction between the innate immune system, particularly the complement system, and influenza virus.