Rising senior Biology major Jay Brandt\u00a0has been hard at work this summer conducting cancer research\u00a0in collaboration with Elliott Assistant Professor of Biology\u00a0Dr. Kristian M. Hargadon ’01.\u00a0 Through funding from the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges and the Hampden-Sydney College Honors Council,\u00a0Jay has been investigating how melanoma-altered dendritic cells influence the quality of cytotoxic T cell activation.\u00a0 Using dendritic cells that have been isolated from the spleens of mice, Jay has utilized an ex\u00a0vivo cell culture system in which dendritic cells whose maturation and activation have been modulated by melanoma-derived factors are used to stimulate na\u00efve CD8+ T cells.\u00a0 Jay has then evaluated T cell activation using a variety of flow cytometric readouts that include CFSE-based T cell proliferation assays and intracellular cytokine staining assays.\u00a0 He is also in the process of conducting ELISAs to measure T cell production of the cytotoxin granzyme B.\u00a0 Collectively, these studies will provide significant insights into the induction of anti-tumor immune responses.\u00a0 Jay will be attending medical school following his graduation in 2015, and he has already been accepted to Eastern Virginia Medical School through the College’s Early Assurance Program with the medical school!<\/p>\n
![\"Jay](\"http:\/\/blogs.hsc.edu\/biology\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2014\/06\/DSC00585.jpg\")
<\/a>Jay Brandt ’15 running samples on the Biology Department’s new flow cytometer!<\/p><\/div>\n
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Rising senior Biology major Jay Brandt\u00a0has been hard at work this summer conducting cancer research\u00a0in collaboration with Elliott Assistant Professor of Biology\u00a0Dr. Kristian M. Hargadon ’01.\u00a0 Through funding from the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges and the Hampden-Sydney College Honors … Continue reading