Re-envisioning Immunometabolism
The immune defenses of every cell are highly intertwined with metabolic machinery. This observation seeded a new frontier of research, immunometabolism. Immune activation, polarization, expansion, training, memory, and contraction are tightly coupled to fundamental cellular metabolic pathways. Yet despite evidence that nearly all cellular metabolic machinery is entangled with these immune processes, immunometabolic research remains largely focused on mitochondria. There is growing recognition that organelles other than mitochondria play equally vital, specialized roles in immunometabolsm. Emerging from this paradigm was the discovery that peroxisomes, essential metabolic organelles that govern lipid and redox turnover, also act as a crucial nexus between the immune and metabolic systems. We demonstrated that peroxisomes were required for immune cells to engulf pathogens, drive antimicrobial signaling, and maintain enteric immunological homeostasis. Our research program now aims to unearth metabolic signaling mechanisms that contribute to core immune processes and to better understand pathological processes of chronic inflammation, cancer, and neurodegeneration.
Mapping peroxisome-dependent gene expression networks of the immune response in vivo.
Immune cell activation in response to infection involves a massive change in the gene expression profile. We found that immune cells lacking functional peroxisomes fail to activate key signaling pathways of the antimicrobial immune response during systemic infections. To better understand the global impact peroxisomes have on immune signaling pathways, we will map the peroxisome-dependent gene network during an infection.
The Peroxisome Role in Mucosal Immunity and Gut Health
Our lab found that peroxisomes in the gut modulate the autophagy pathway, stress signaling and tissue regeneration to maintain gut epithelial homeostasis, promote epithelial renewal, and ultimately influence host–commensal and host–pathogen interactions needed for the survival and development. We now are investigating the molecular controls behind this peroxisomal requirement and how they impact immunity in human enteric tissues.
Lab Members
Available Positions
Postdoctoral Fellow
Postdoctoral applicants interested in acquiring a background in peroxisome biology, immuno-metabolism and new areas of immunology, we are currently seeking candidates for several projects.
Graduate Students Interested in MSc or PhD Programs
Currently seeking curiosity-driven individuals with an appetite for discovery.
Lab Technician
We are in search of a full or part time technician who is organized, analytical and willing and able to conduct experiments.
Undergraduate Students
We are looking for motivated undergraduate students who are interested in experiential learning or who wish to enroll in an honors research project.
Our Support
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research provides funding support for our research on peroxisomes in immunometabolism.
The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council provides support for our research on peroxisome roles in phagocytosis
Research Nova Scotia provides us funding support for our research program.
The Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation provided funding for our startup funds research equipment needs.
The Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute provides funding support for our research.
Canadian Foundation for Innovation provided funds for our research equipment through the CFI-JELF.
The IWK Foundation provided establishment funds for our lab.
Canada Research Chairs Suppports Dr. Di Cara, a Tier 2 Chair in Human Immunology and Host Pathogen Interactions.
The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada supports our efforts along with Dr. Christopher Powers (U. Alberta), the primary grant holder, to understand of the underlying causes of neruodegenerative disorders.
The Rare Diseases Network supports our efforts to generate a Drosophila model that will aid our understand of the underlying causes of Roifman syndrome.
New Frontiers Research Fund supports or research of how changes in the microbiome and diet affect neurodegenerative diseases.
The National Institutes of Health supports our studies along with Dr. Neil Silverman (U. Mass), the primary grant holder, in the Drosophila model to define the regulatory mechanisms in the inflammatory signaling pathways
