The fine modulation of cytotoxic activity is an important aspect of engineered immune cells so they can be better equipped to help the organism to fight against cancer while minimizing harmful off-target effects.
In this project, you will explore the modulation of immune effector cells with programmable nucleases for loss of function and gain of function. The project aims to create stable lines that can be used for therapeutic prototyping with in vitro validation in human cell systems, including human iPS cells, and immune effector cells.
In our project, you will learn how to optimize differentiation protocols aided by genome engineering. You will create cellular master stocks of engineered cells, that could be used for mechanistic dissecting of immune effector mechanisms. You will be hosted at the EMBL-VU Institute for Genome Editing Technologies. You will be supervised by Dr. Jonathan Arias (Group Leader), expert in genome engineering and iPS cell platforms. He will guide you to create scientific articles and patents with commercial potential. Learn more about us at https://www.gmc.vu.lt/en/group-of-cell-therapeutics.