260319_CMCB LSS - Dr Masahiro Ono, Imperial College London, UK

Host: Karsten Kretschmer (CRTD

Title: “Investigating the Time Dimension of T Cells through Experiment and Computation”

Abstract: Immunological analyses often rely on static snapshots, which can miss the temporal dynamics of cell differentiation. We developed Tocky, a fluorescent timer–based system that visualizes T cell receptor signaling and gene expression dynamics in vivo. To interpret these high-dimensional data, we introduced computational tools that reconstruct flow cytometric Tocky readouts as temporal trajectories. Using a combined Tocky–CRISPR–machine learning framework, we identified temporal regulation of a critical enhancer in the Foxp3 locus, revealing how timing contributes to immune tolerance. Together, this approach enables quantitative dissection of the temporal logic underlying immune activation and regulation.