The Nagar lab uses X-ray crystallography, SAXS and other biophysical techniques to probe the molecular basis for how macromolecules mediate important biological processes, specifically, innate immunity and RNA silencing. The lab’s innate immunity studies address how host receptors engage molecular patterns found on pathogens and how this recognition activates host defense mechanisms. In RNA silencing, Dr. Nagar works toward determining the molecular details of miRNA biogenesis and how this leads to gene silencing.