Kevin Chung (JASANOFF LAB)

Whole Brain fMRI under Learning and Recognition

Higher-order cognitive phenomena such as associative learning and object recognition are fundamental building blocks of our cognition, yet are not fully understood due to the massively interconnected nature of the brain. We first set the necessary stage for diving deeper into understanding the brain's role in these higher-order tasks, then propose to probe at the functional relationship between the whole brain and these tasks via multi-modal imaging and circuit-specific modulation.

Cal Gunnarsson (BRYSON LAB)

Mtb Surface Display For Modular, Multiplexable Transcriptional Reporting

Tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), is a leading cause of infectious disease death. Outside and inside the host cell, Mtb is highly heterogeneous. To understand how this heterogeneity arises and influences disease outcome, we need methods to isolate and characterize single bacteria. Existing methods, such as fluorescent reporters and single cell RNA sequencing, are limited by plexity, readout, or are not Mtb-compatible. Here, we develop and characterize surface display as a mode of transcriptional reporting.