What We Do
The focus of the Kasper laboratory is on the centrality of the microbiome in immune system development, maturation, and regulation. The laboratory’s research defines the phylogenetic diversity, immune mechanisms, and immunomodulatory therapeutic potential of bacteria and bacterial molecules in autoimmune and infectious diseases. We also investigate the chemistry and immunology of bacterial polysaccharides and lipids, gaining fundamental insights into their role in pathogenesis, as protective vaccine antigens, and as critical modulators of mucosal and systemic immunity.