Our Mission

Understanding Infection, Translating Discovery.

감염을 이해하고, 발견을 진단과 치료로 연결합니다.

중개감염생물학연구실은 감염성 질환에서 일어나는 생물학적 현상을 이해하는 것에서 출발하여, 그 발견을 새로운 진단과 치료의 가능성으로 연결하는 것을 목표로 합니다. 감염은 병원체 하나만으로 설명되지 않습니다. 병원체가 숙주에 접근하고, 세포와 조직에 침입하며, 숙주의 방어체계와 상호작용하는 과정에는 다양한 분자와 세포 수준의 변화가 존재합니다. 우리는 이러한 숙주–병원체 상호작용과 감염기전을 규명하고, 그 과정에서 질병을 진단하거나 치료할 수 있는 새로운 단서를 발견하고자 합니다.

Our research is not defined by a single experimental approach. We integrate cellular and molecular biology, phenotypic drug screening, target protein discovery, structural biology, molecular docking and dynamics, antigen and antibody development, biomarker discovery, and diagnostic platform development. By bringing these approaches together, we investigate infectious diseases across multiple biological scales—from cells and molecules to potential clinical applications.

We do not view basic and translational research as separate processes. A molecular mechanism uncovered during infection may reveal a new therapeutic target. A compound identified through phenotypic screening may provide a clue to previously unexplored pathogen biology. A pathogen-specific protein may become the foundation for a new diagnostic strategy.

Our research is therefore guided by three fundamental questions:

🍀How does infection occur?

Understanding the mechanisms that allow pathogens to establish and progress within their hosts.

🍀What can we target?

Identifying molecular vulnerabilities and therapeutic targets that can be exploited to control infection.

🍀How can we translate it?

Transforming biological discoveries into new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

Ultimately, our mission is to bridge fundamental infection biology and translational research—moving from understanding infection to discovering targets, and from discovery to practical solutions for the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases.