CMSA Active Matter Seminar: Limit and potential of adaptive immunity

SEMINARS, CMSA EVENTS

Speaker:

Shenshen Wang - UCLA

The adaptive immune system is able to learn from past experiences to better fit an unforeseen future. This is made possible by a diverse and dynamic repertoire of cells expressing unique antigen receptors and capable of rapid Darwinian evolution within an individual. However, naturally occurring immune responses exhibit limits in efficacy, speed and capacity to adapt to novel challenges. In this talk, I will discuss theoretical frameworks we developed to (1) explore functional impacts of non-equilibrium antigen recognition, and (2) identify conditions under which natural selection acting local in time can find adaptable solutions favorable in the long run, through exploiting environmental variations and functional constraints.

This seminar will be held at CMSA, 20 Garden St, seminar room G-10 and on Zoom. For more information on how to join the Zoom, please see: https://cmsa.fas.harvard.edu/event/active-matter-seminar-6/