The Laboratory of Structural Virology and Immunology (LSVI) was established in 2006 to cope with emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases by the collaborative efforts of both Chinese Academy of Sciences and the University of Tokyo. One of the major goals of the joint laboratory is to establish a sustainable collaborative environment between Chinese and Japanese scientists. The laboratory’s research is focused on the structure-function relationship of viral proteins with a strong emphasis on structural analyses. In the laboratory, researchers in different disciplines take both virological and immunological approaches. They study the complex interplay between virus and host from an immunological perspective. Such multidisciplinary and concerted efforts will facilitate them design anti-viral strategies. The power of protein engineering such as antibody engineering will be explored to develop useful diagnostic and therapeutic methodologies.