Biography
Dr. Huang Huang
Dr. Huang Huang
Stanford University, USA
Title: Single cell analysis of antigen-specific T cell response against Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Abstract: 
It is estimated that one-third of the world’s population is latently infected with M. tuberculosis (Mtb). While only 10% of the infected individuals develop progressive disease after exposure to Mtb. The mechanisms underlying protection against infection and/or disease are not well understood and there are no immunologic or other biomarkers known to predict the efficacy of vaccine candidates without the long and costly progression to Phase IIB clinical trials. In order to study the T cell response against Mtb, here we are using single-cell T cell receptor (TCR) sequencing to study the TCR repertoire of Mtb-reactive T cells and demonstrated in vivo clonal expansion, public TCR motifs and Th1* like phenotypes of Mtb-reactive T cells. We also developed and optimized a method to capture both TCR and transcriptome from the same single T cell with more than 80% successful rate in sorted single T cell. It thus allows functional study of T cell clones (cells with identical TCRs) directly from blood or other tissues without in vitro expansion. Using this method, we have identified conventional and unconventional (MAIT/NKT) cells reactive to Mtb. Transcriptome analysis of clonal expanded cells identified a feature of clonal senescence among conventional T cells but not among unconventional T cells.
Biography: 
Dr. Huang Huang earned his Ph.D. (Biotechnology) from Peking University in 2010. During his Ph.D. study, he focused on the molecular mechanism of RNA interference and systematically investigated the target specificity and off-target effects during RNA interference. Also he developed a microchip and flow electroporation system to efficiently delivery siRNA and plasmid into hard-to-transfect cells with high-throughput potency and high transfection rate. After graduation, he joined Mark Davis lab in Stanford University as a postdoctoral fellow to continue his research. Currently, his focus is on identifying protective T cell response in both vaccination and infection in human. Leaning on the newly developed Mass cytometry (CyTOF)and next generation sequencing, he is developing single cell technology to study the rare antigen-specific T cells after perturbation. In summary, Dr. Huang is a highly trained T cell immunologist with full of experience ofhuman immunology and specializing in the research ofCD4+/CD8+ T cells, NKT cells and other unconventional T cells.