Identifying how chromatin regulators impact virus-specific T cell immunity

Infection triggers large-scale changes in the phenotype and function of killer T cells that are critical for immune function, yet the gene regulatory mechanisms that control these changes are largely unknown. Our lab uses cutting edge technologies to interrogate changes in the biochemical and spatial characteristics of the genome interactions within virus-specific killer T cells, and how this impacts gene transcriptional signatures associated with optimal virus-specific killer T cell responses. We have shown that changes in biochemical modications associated with specific genomic locations is associated with establishment of optimal T cell immunity. This project aims to use small molecule inhibition to block the function of a class of enzymes that regulate these changes in genome modifications, and then assess the impact on killer T cell function and establishment of immunological memory.