Our lab’s goal is the discovery and characterization of full length, fully human monoclonal antibodies cloned from single B cells after vaccination. We explore the use of these antibodies as novel therapeutics and diagnostics for infectious agents and also elucidate the B cell immunology which leads to these antibodies and the biology of the B cells that make them. Our primary focus is antibodies that bind to polysaccharide antigens, specifically from the Streptococcus pneumoniae (SPN) capsule. We are working to use these antibodies as novel treatments for severe pneumonia, as well as for diagnostics to both diagnose SPN infections and explore the epidemiology of SPN, for example, the distribution of antibiotic resistant and non-vaccine serotypes. We also have active projects producing and characterizing antibodies to anthrax toxins and rabies virus.

We are developing new methods for characterizing monoclonal antibodies from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. We are working to better understand the B cell immunology that leads to autoantibody production, epitope spreading and affinity maturation.

We also explore aspects of general B cell immunology, including Vgene, light chain and isotype usage in immune responses to vaccination, infection, allergy and autoimmunity. Finally, we produce highly engineered antibody formats, such as bispecific antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates.