Abstract: Higher organisms, like humans, have an adaptive immune system that can respond to pathogens that have not been encountered before. T lymphocytes (T cells) are the orchestrators of the adaptive immune response. They interact with cells, called antigen presenting cells, which display molecular signatures of pathogens on their surface. T cells detect the presence of these molecular signatures of pathogens with great sensitivity. How T cells hunt for antigen, how they discriminate between "self" and "non-self" with extraordinary sensitivity, and how intracellular signaling leading to activation is regulated are central questions in fundamental biology. I will discuss recent efforts where synergy between theory and computation (rooted in statistical mechanics) and genetic, biochemical, and imaging experiments have shed light on the molecular mechanisms underlying the ability of T cells to discriminate between molecular markers of "self" and "non-self". The importance of stochastic fluctuations and spatial organization of signaling components will be highlighted.

Biography: Arup K. Chakraborty obtained his Ph.D. in chemical engineering at the University of Delaware and his B.S. from IIT-Kanpur. After postdoctoral studies at the University of Minnesota, he joined the faculty at the University of California at Berkeley in December 1988. He rose through the ranks, and ultimately served as the Warren and Katherine Schlinger Distinguished Professor and Chair of Chemical Engineering, Professor of Chemistry, and Professor of Biophysics at Berkeley. He was also Head of Theoretical and Computational Biology at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. In September of 2005, Prof. Chakraborty moved to MIT where he is the Robert T. Haslam Professor of Chemical Engineering, Professor of Chemistry, and Professor of Biological Engineering. The central theme of his research today is the development and application of statistical mechanical approaches to study how T lymphocytes, orchestrators of the adaptive immune response, function. His work has been recognized by many honors that include the Allan P. Colburn and Professional Progress awards of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, a Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar award, a Miller Research Professorship, and a National Young Investigator award. He has delivered over 150 invited lectures that include many named lectures. In 2004, Prof. Chakraborty was elected to the National Academy of Engineering and in 2006 he became the first engineer to receive the NIH Director's Pioneer Award.

If you'd like to meet with Prof. Chakraborty during his visit, please contact Prof. Michael Greenfield (greenfield at egr.uri.edu).