Our most important research topic at the moment is the ‘tetraspanin’ family of proteins. These proteins are found on the surface of all our cells, and they help the cells to do many of the various jobs that cells need to do: Cells stick together to form our tissues, they move over each to help fight infections, and they can join together, as occurs when eggs are fertilized by sperm cells. Tetraspanins work as organizers of the cell membrane, gathering other membrane components together into short-lived but effective ‘sticky patches’. The easiest way to think of these is as pieces of Velcro™, an orderly array of hooks and eyes that can hold things tightly together. The tetraspanins act like the fabric backing of Velcro™, and other proteins act as the hooks and eyes.