We investigate B cell response during infection and vaccination: Through collaborations, we obtain samples from patients infected with HIV, HCV, Zika and other viruses, or from healthy individuals immunized with vaccines. We apply next-generation sequencing (NGS) to derive B cell repertoire profiles, and perform longitudinal analysis to investigate antibody lineage development in response to infection and vaccination.
We also identify functional antibodies against various targets related to infectious disease and cancer: Several key platform technologies, such as digital panning and the combined use of ultra-long-read NGS (900bp) and single-cell microfluidics, have been established to facilitate antibody discovery. Such projects provide novel antibodies that can be further developed towards antiviral drugs or immunotherapeutics.