Training projects for master and bachelor students

 

We welcome master and bachelor students to join our lab for semester projects, internship, and theses. Students who like to join as a lab member and conduct a relatively long-term project will be considered with preference. Interested candidates should email Prof. Tang ([email protected]) their CVs containing completed courses, GPA, and research experience (if any), and indicate their research interest and time commitment for conducting research in Tang lab.

There are several research projects available for semester projects, summer internship, or master theses depending on the time commitment of the student:

 

Chemical immunoengineering

Development of assays investigating the interaction of immune cells with cancer cells under the influence of smart prodrugs and biomaterials. The students will learn many techniques of mammalian cell culture, isolation and manipulation of lymphocytes and cancer cells, culture assays, sample preparation and labeling as well as data analysis.

 

Scaffolding for immune cell activation and expansion

The goal of this project is to develop a hydrogel-based 3D cell scaffold to support immune cells survival, growth, expansion, and function. The students will investigate how to control the physicochemical properties of hydrogel and modify the hydrogel. The students will then investigate activation, expansion and phenotypes of T cells and NK cells in the scaffold system. Microscopy and flow cytometry will be used to analyze the isolated immune cells in culture.

 

Mechanical immunoengineering

Adoptive transfer of T cells has led to striking results in some cancer patients. Nevertheless, manufacturing of T cell-based products is complicated due to sub-optimal T cell activation and expansion protocols. We developed a unique approach aiming at using biophysical cues to enhance T cell proliferation. In this project, you will work on the activation of mouse primary T cells and gain expertise in T cell biology, culture of cell lines, and cell phenotypic analysis (cytometry).

 

Car-T cell engineering

CAR-T cell therapy has led to striking results in some cancer patients. Nevertheless, efficacy of CAR-T cells in solid tumors remains an important challenge. Here, we aim at developing novel CARs with enhanced efficacy against solid tumors. In this project, you will work on the generation of mouse CAR-T cells and gain expertise in molecular cloning, T-cell biology, cell culture, and flow cytometry.