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The CRISPR4ALL project supports the research of the following PIs:
Institute for Research in Biomedicine & Institute of Oncology Research, Università della Svizzera italiana, Bellinzona, Switzerland.
Project info: A hallmark of immune evasion in cancer involves the ligation of inhibitory receptors on T cells, impeding their functions. In this project, we conduct CRISPRa screens to identify novel regulators of T cell function, potentially revealing new targets for immunotherapy
Short Bio: Konstantinos Lefkimmiatis is Full Professor of Physiology at the Department of Molecular Medicine of the University of Pavia, where he directs the Unit of Cellular and Molecular Physiology. He also holds an appointment as a Principal Investigator at the Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine (VIMM). Before joining the University of Pavia, he held positions as tenured researcher at the Neuroscience Institute of the Italian National Research Council (CNR) (2017-2019); Intermediate Fellow at the University of Oxford (2013-2016) and Instructor in Surgery at Harvard Medical School (2010-2013) while he was a Postdoctoral Researcher at Harvard Medical School (2006-2010).
Project info: Mitochondria and nucleus co-evolved for millions of years and during that time they developed a complex language for their communication. In recent years, it became obvious that the exchange of cues between the two organelles is aided by their direct interaction through membrane contact sites. However, despite evidence pointing to the pathophysiological significance of contacts between mitochondria and nucleus, the molecular machinery(ies) responsible for their interaction remain unknown. In our CRISP4ALL project we will employ the Tspiezzo library in combination with molecular tools developed in our laboratory to unveil the molecular components necessary for the establishment of mitochondria – nuclear contacts. The identification of the structural components that drive the formation of contacts between mitochondria and the nucleus will provide important cues on how the two organelles recognise each-other, establish, and stabilize their connections and will pave the road towards understanding the functional significance of these contacts and how they affect the physiology of each organelle and consequently that of the cell.
Short bio: Lefteris received his B.S. in Biology from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece. He then moved to the United States where he received his Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Missouri under the mentorship of Dr. Stefan Sarafianos. For his thesis he investigated the mechanisms of action and resistance to HIV and HBV antivirals. Then he moved to New York to work as a postdoctoral fellow at Rockefeller University in Dr. Charlie Rice’s laboratory. There, he focused on developing innovative cell culture and animal model systems for studying HBV and other liver-related diseases. Lefteris started his independent lab at Emory University in fall 2021 to continue his work on virus-host interactions in HBV and other viruses.
Project info: the CRISPR4ALL award offers a great opportunity to make significant progress in hepatitis B virus (HBV) biology. Using the T. gonfio and T. spiezzo sgRNA libraries we will conduct initially genome-wide screens using hepatoma cells to identify host factors that impact HBV replication. Then, validation screens will be performed in primary hepatocyte cultures and systems that allow to identify host factors that impact HBV and chronic infection. The ultimate goal is to generate highly impactful data towards a cure against HBV.
