{"687086":{"#nid":"687086","#data":{"type":"event","title":"2026 Suddath Award Winner Presentation","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis presentation will be followed by the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/bio\/suddath-symposium\/2026\/about\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003E2026 Suddath Symposium\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E - \u201cBiomedical Applications of Synthetic Biology\u201d - starting at 1 p.m.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2026 Suddath Award Winner\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ultrasound.gatech.edu\/people\/myeongsoo-kim\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMyeongsoo Kim\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPh.D. Candidate - Stanislav Emelianov, Advisor\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EABSTRACT\u003Cbr\u003EAdoptive T cell therapy (ACT) is a promising cancer treatment that harnesses a patient\u2019s own T lymphocytes to enhance antitumor immunity. However, assessing therapeutic responses in solid tumors remains challenging due to the lack of robust, noninvasive tools to monitor T cell activity with anatomical context. Here, we present an integrated strategy for noninvasive, longitudinal monitoring of antitumor T cell activity following ACT using plasmonic nanosensors combined with ultrasound-guided photoacoustic (US\/PA) imaging. This platform enables evaluation of both (1) T cell trafficking and infiltration into tumors and (2) T cell-mediated cytotoxic activity against tumor cells. First, to monitor chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell trafficking and infiltration in heterogeneous solid tumors, we developed plasmonic gold nanoassemblies with strong photoacoustic responses in the near-infrared (NIR) window and photostability. These nanoassemblies were conjugated to CAR T cell membranes without altering key cellular functions, enabling longitudinal PA imaging of CAR T cell accumulation in breast tumors with heterogeneous antigen expression. Imaging revealed a correlation between CAR T cell trafficking\/infiltration and tumor burden changes. Second, to noninvasively assess cytotoxic T cell activity in tumors, we designed protease-activated plasmonic nanosensors that selectively detect granzyme B (GzmB), a key effector protease released by activated T cells. Upon exposure to GzmB, nanosensor aggregation is induced with interparticle plasmon coupling, leading to enhanced NIR light absorption and amplified PA signals. In murine ACT models, systemic nanosensor administration enabled detection of tumor-infiltrating cytotoxic T cell activity, producing elevated PA signals in antigen-positive tumors compared to antigen-negative controls before measurable differences in tumor volume. Overall, this plasmonic nanosensor-based US\/PA imaging platform provides a real-time approach to monitor and potentially predict therapeutic outcomes in cancer immunotherapy.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe F. L. \u0022Bud\u0022 Suddath and Frances \u0022Lee\u0022 Gafford Suddath Fellowship Award was established by the family, friends, and colleagues of Bud Suddath to stimulate graduate research in the fields of biology, biochemistry, and biomedical engineering. The award is given annually to a doctoral student from Georgia Tech who has demonstrated significant research achievement.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Noninvasive Monitoring of Antitumor Activity of T Cells: Synergy of Cell Engineering, Nanosensors, and Imaging\u0022 - Myeongsoo Kim, Georgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"\u0022Noninvasive Monitoring of Antitumor Activity of T Cells: Synergy of Cell Engineering, Nanosensors, and Imaging\u0022 - Myeongsoo Kim, Georgia Tech"}],"uid":"27195","created_gmt":"2026-01-06 13:59:18","changed_gmt":"2026-01-14 16:24:01","author":"Colly Mitchell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2026-03-18T11:00:00-04:00","event_time_end":"2026-03-18T11:45:00-04:00","event_time_end_last":"2026-03-18T11:45:00-04:00","gmt_time_start":"2026-03-18 15:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2026-03-18 15:45:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2026-03-18 15:45:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":"Petit Biotechnology Building, 315 Ferst Drive, NW, Suddath Seminar Room 1128, Atlanta, GA 30332","extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1254","name":"Wallace H. Coulter Dept. of Biomedical Engineering"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"189814","name":"go-researchevents"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1795","name":"Seminar\/Lecture\/Colloquium"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78761","name":"Faculty\/Staff"},{"id":"177814","name":"Postdoc"},{"id":"78771","name":"Public"},{"id":"174045","name":"Graduate students"},{"id":"78751","name":"Undergraduate students"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:connect@ibb.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Econnect@ibb.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}