Aakarsh Vermani Rose Hills
Deep Learning Models of Antibody Evolution in Somatic Cells
Antibodies are special proteins that are crucial to our immune response because they recognize and bind to foreign molecules (antigens), triggering a neutralizing response from the rest of the immune system. Through a process known as somatic hypermutation (SHM), genes encoding antibodies undergo elevated mutation rates and selection, driving an evolutionary process that improves an antibody’s binding affinity for specific antigens.
In this project we will develop accurate deep learning models of antibody evolution to capture insights into the mechanisms underlying the development of specialized antibodies. Such models will be crucial for designing better medications because they enable us to use nature as a guide for the optimization of vaccines and therapeutic antibodies with enhanced efficacy and specificity.
Message To Sponsor
Thank you so much for financially supporting my summer research! I'm really excited that I get to pursue my passion for machine learning and biology full time this summer, and I think it'll be great preparation for graduate school and beyond.