A. J. Johnson

Rationally designed modular STAT-activating scaffolds enforce cell-intrinsic transcriptional programs augmenting the anti-tumor potency of CAR T cells

This study designs and tests STAT-activating scaffolds to enhance CAR T cell anti-tumor potency, finding that LASI-3 improves function without lymphoproliferative side effects.

Bait, not reward: CO2-enriched Nepenthes pitchers secrete toxic nectar

This study shows that Nepenthes extrafloral nectar is a toxic bait, not a reward, containing acetylcholinesterase inhibitors that impair arthropod neuronal activity.

Nepenthes pitchers versus thermogenic flowers: Thermal patterns and their role in prey capture and pollination

This study compares thermal patterns in Nepenthes pitchers and thermogenic flowers, showing pitchers have cooler zones for prey capture while flowers have warmer zones for pollination.

Brain resident memory T cells rapidly expand and initiate neuroinflammatory responses following CNS injury and viral infection

This study identifies antigen-specific brain-resident memory T cells that expand rapidly after CNS injury or viral infection and induce neuroinflammation and peripheral immune suppression.

Microglia and perivascular macrophages act as antigen presenting cells to promote CD8 T cell infiltration of the brain

This study identifies microglia and perivascular macrophages as antigen-presenting cells that present MHC class I antigens to CD8 T cells, facilitating their infiltration into the brain during viral infection.

Severe and multifaceted systemic immunosuppression caused by experimental cancers of the central nervous system requires release of non-steroid soluble mediators

This study identifies non-steroid soluble factors released by CNS cancers and injuries that cause systemic immunosuppression by inducing thymic and splenic involution and reducing MHC class II expression.

Conditional silencing of H-2Db class I molecule expression on dendritic cells modulates the protective and pathogenic kinetics of virus-antigen specific CD8 T cell responses during Theiler’s Virus infection

This study shows that CD11c+ antigen-presenting cells are critical for early CD8 T cell responses against TMEV, but not for later responses, using a conditional H-2Db knockout mouse model.

Flavor-Cyber-Agriculture: Optimization of plant metabolites in an open-source control environment through surrogate modeling

This paper uses machine learning to optimize environmental conditions in cyber-agriculture to enhance flavor-active metabolites in basil plants.