Rämet Lab

In order to understand the function of genes associated to diseases, valid in vivo model organisms are required. Our research group uses fruit flies and zebrafish to identify key genes and proteins involved in the immune response. For this purpose, we have set up an RNA interference (RNAi) based genome-wide screening method in fruit fly S2 cells (Rämet et al. (2002) Nature) as well as conducted a large scale transposon-based forward genetic screen in zebrafish. All in all, these systems enable us to identify novel genetic associations to diseases, and they serve as a starting point for further immunological research using e.g. our well-established model for tuberculosis.