Examining the nanoscale biology of T-cell signalling

Fighting off infection requires communication among several cell types to trigger an immune response. But the power of traditional tools to discern the details is limited. Using high-resolution microscopy, Dr. Marcus James Taylor observes the very cell-­surface molecules receiving the signal to launch an attack. By measuring their positions before and after activation and watching how they move in live cells, Taylor aims to provide fundamental information, on the nanoscale, about the immune system’s molecular machinery.