TROY has been show to be highly expressed during embryonic development and to activate the JNK signalling pathway, being involved in apoptosis. RIPK2 has been shown to induce apoptosis and to interact with p75NTR, which is also a member of the TNF superfamily. Preliminary results suggest that the expression of TROY in neurons is enhanced with aging, and thus could play a role in the development of neurological diseases, such as dementia. Natacsha will express and purify recombinant TROY and RIPK2 for biophysical and structural studies. The interaction between the two proteins will be measured using e.g. microscale thermophoresis. Ultimately, the structural characterisation of a TROY-RIPK2 complex will be pursued using single-particle analysis cryo-EM.