The innate immune system recognizes infections through receptors that detect conserved microbial components. Ligand-mediated activation of these receptors induces caspase-1 activation and caspase-1-mediated maturation and secretion of the inflammatory cytokines IL1β and IL18. The aim of this project is to study the role of the caspase-1 homolog, the inflammatory caspase-11, in caspase-1 inflammasome activation and secretion of inflammatory cytokines.