The major aim of the Soldati group is to understand the evolutionary conserved cellular and molecular mechanisms of cell-autonomous immunity against pathogenic bacteria. To this end they use the genetically and biochemically tractable social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum as a model host organism. The amoeba serves as a powerful and versatile host for Mycobacterium marinum a close cousin of M. tuberculosis. It allows to investigate host-pathogen relationships membrane damage sensing and repair restriction of intracellular infection by xenophagy the interface with acquisition and transport of lipids and the screen for anti-infective compounds. This model infection system is ethically un-concerning and allows significant progress to further the 3R cause (Replace, Reduce, Refine).