Expanding our understanding of microbial infections and tackling the challenges of antibiotic resistance requires a better understanding of the host immune responses to infection.

This study aims to understand natural killer (NK) cell memory in bacterial infections, using as a model Streptococcus pneumoniae, the leading cause of bacterial pneumonia worldwide. Traditionally associated with innate immunity, NK cells have been shown to develop memory-like properties which could be harnessed for new immunotherapy approaches against bacterial pathogens. The study’s goals are to identify specific marker genes for memory NK cells and to investigate key chromatin regulators essential for NK cell memory maintenance, ultimately contributing to an unprecedented understanding of this process during bacterial infection.

Judith Zaugg (EMBL Heidelberg), Matthieu Boulard (EMBL Rome), Melanie Hamon (Institut Pasteur)