Suzan Rooijkakkers
Prof. dr. Suzan Rooijakkers is Professor of Bacterial Infections & Immunity at UMC Utrecht.
Our bodies have an impressive defense system against bacteria. An important part of this is the so-called complement system—a group of proteins in our blood that can quickly and effectively eliminate bacteria.
Suzan Rooijakkers is researching exactly how this complement system works. She wants to understand in detail how these proteins work together to recognize, attack, and destroy bacteria. She is particularly interested in a protein complex called the Membrane Attack Complex (MAC). This complex can literally puncture holes in the outer membrane of certain bacteria (Gram-negative bacteria), killing them.
Although we know that the system works, it is not yet clear exactly how the entire process from activation to destruction works. To find out, Suzan developed new methods that allow her to mimic and study the complement system in detail in the lab.
In addition, her team is also looking at how the complement system helps to ‘mark’ bacteria so that immune cells can clear them away. This plays a particularly important role in combating another group of bacteria: Gram-positive bacteria. Suzan is investigating exactly how these markers work and how immune cells recognize them.
The results of her research are promising. They could contribute to the development of new treatments, for example, to target the complement system against dangerous bacteria. Her work could also help to inhibit the system in cases of serious infections such as sepsis, where the immune system reacts too strongly.
In 2015, Suzan received the prestigious ERC Starting Grant, an important European grant for leading young scientists, for her groundbreaking research.
Suzan Rooijackkers will be a speaker at the Science For Life Café on Monday, September 29.