Functional Discovery of T Cell Receptors (TCRs) for Antigen-specific and Unconventional T Cells Using Nanovial Technology

Learn about cutting-edge nanovial technology for discovering T cell receptors (TCRs) in this keynote webinar presented by Dr. Dino Di Carlo, the Armond and Elena Hairapetian Professor of Bioengineering at UCLA. Explore how nanovials serve as an accessible platform for single-cell functional screening using standard laboratory equipment like flow cytometers and microfluidic sequencing platforms. Discover how each cell and its secreted products are captured within nanovials where they can be analyzed and sorted using fluorescence activated cell sorters. Understand how nanovials function as artificial antigen-presenting cells to capture T cells based on their TCR binding to antigens, including peptide-loaded major histocompatibility complex I (pMHC) or MHC-like molecules presenting metabolites. Examine the process by which T cell binding to antigens triggers activation and cytokine secretion, which can be captured on the same nanovial for comprehensive analysis. Learn how T cells can be selected based on both binding affinity and functional characterization of cytokine and effector molecule secretion, then sorted for downstream single-cell sequencing of matched TCR alpha and beta chains. Investigate how oligo-barcoded detection antibodies specific to cellular secretions enable functional annotation of each TCR sequence based on secretion levels. Understand how this "lab on a particle" approach can assay both binding and cellular function for millions of cells using standard equipment, accelerating the discovery of cancer-specific TCRs and TCRs against metabolites presented by unconventional MHC-like molecules with high accuracy for improved engineered T cell therapies. The presentation includes a live Q&A session and offers PACE credits for registered participants.