Immunology and Microbiology are foundational disciplines in life sciences that are thriving in the new era of interdisciplinary crosstalk. Research in these areas provides a theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of major human diseases, essential for safeguarding public health and national security amidst ever-growing globalization.

The Department of Immunology and Microbiology (IMMB) at SUSTech explores diverse research directions, ranging from developmental and cellular biology of immune systems to pathological mechanisms of autoimmune diseases, immunoregulation in neurodegeneration, metabolic disorders,  cancer, as well as pathogenic and drug resistance mechanisms of microorganisms. By integrating multiple research disciplines and cutting-edge technologies such as single-cell profiling and AI tools with traditional methodologies, including animal models, genetics, molecular biology, bioinformatics, biochemistry, and structural biology, we aim to identify exciting interdisciplinary synergies and push back the scientific frontier to the next level. Through gaining mechanistic insights into the basic biology of immune systems and microorganisms, the pathogenic processes of immune disorders and the molecular basis of bacterial drug resistance, our department endeavors to identify novel therapeutic targets for infectious and immune diseases, aspiring to advance the transfer of academic knowledge into clinical treatments.

In the next five to ten years, the Department of Immunology and Microbiology expects to expand into a multi-disciplinary research team comprising 20-25 principal investigators with expertise ranging from immunology, microbiology to biophysics and genetics.