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Cambridge Immunology Network

 

Research

The central question we seek to answer is: how are changes in cell state regulated at the transcriptomic and epigenetic level? T helper cells are ideal to address this question, because the Th system consists of a naïve precursor cell type, and four main differentiated cell types that have some capacity to interconvert, known as plasticity. We use an integrated computational and experimental approach, including genome-wide approaches such as RNA-sequencing and ChIP-sequencing, and single cell techniques such as single molecule RNA-FISH.

By understanding the intricate control of changes in gene expression that these cells undergo as they differentiate or reprogramme, we hope to also gain insight into the biology of infection, allergy and autoimmune diseases.

Publications

Key publications: 

Mahata B, Zhang X, Kolodziejczyk AA, Proserpio V, Haim-Vilmovsky L, Taylor AE, Hebenstreit D, Dingler FA, Moignard V, Göttgens B, Arlt W, McKenzie AN, Teichmann SA. Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals T helper cells synthesizing steroids de novo to contribute to immune homeostasis. Cell Rep. 2014 May 22;7(4):1130-42

Feig C, Jones JO, Kraman M, Wells RJ, Deonarine A, Chan DS, Connell CM, Roberts EW, Zhao Q, Caballero OL, Teichmann SA, Janowitz T, Jodrell DI,Tuveson DA, Fearon DT. Targeting CXCL12 from FAP-expressing carcinoma-associated fibroblasts synergizes with anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy in pancreatic cancer. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Dec 10;110(50):20212-7. 

Roberts EW, Deonarine A, Jones JO, Denton AE, Feig C, Lyons SK, Espeli M, Kraman M, McKenna B, Wells RJ, Zhao Q, Caballero OL, Larder R, Coll AP, O'Rahilly S, Brindle KM, Teichmann SA, Tuveson DA, Fearon DT. Depletion of stromal cells expressing fibroblast activation protein-α from skeletal muscle and bone marrow results in cachexia and anemia. J Exp Med. 2013 May 27. 

Hebenstreit D, Deonarine A, Babu MM, Teichmann SA. Duel of the fates: the role of transcriptional circuits and noise in CD4+ cells. Curr Opin Cell Biol. 2012 Jun;24(3):350-8.

Hebenstreit D, Fang M, Gu M, Charoensawan V, van Oudenaarden A, Teichmann SA. RNA sequencing reveals two major classes of gene expression levels in metazoan cells.Mol Syst Biol. 2011 Jun 7;7:497.

Hebenstreit D, Gu M, Haider S, Turner DJ, Liò P, Teichmann SA EpiChIP: gene-by-gene quantification of epigenetic modification levels. Nucleic Acids Res 2010.

Vaquerizas JM, Kummerfeld SK, Teichmann SA, Luscombe NM, A census of human transcription factors: function, expression and evolution Nature Reviews Genetics 2009 10(4):252–63

Other Professional Activities

Public Involvement/Engagement

  • HCA YouTube film of SARS-CoV2 : https://youtu.be/YJ2QX1hsH8M
  • GSK Patient Engagement film on Asthma
  • Wired - Future of Healthcare interview for book including section on Human Cell Atlas
  • D-IAS virtual public engagement lecture, 27th May Denmark “Human Cell Atlas: Mapping the human body one cell at a time”
  • Sanger Seminar Series July 15th “Human Cell Atlas: Mapping the Human body once cell at a time” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyD8lzetdzo&list=PL89L8UQK3ys81d0NeH4e8Ff4XLAoNJ_eM , Q&A for this session: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VI3oGgznvh8
  • HCA science exhibitions
  • Educational HCA science image book focused on attractive images of cells & tissues; Amassing archival material in preparation for a science history book on HCA with Dr Kathy Weston.
  • Interview, editing, support for chapter on my life in “Ahead of the Curve: Women at the LMB” by Dr Kathy Weston. Online book launch event in November 2020.
Dr Sarah  Teichmann
Takes PhD students
Available for consultancy

Affiliations

Collaborator profiles: 
Person keywords: 
genomics
transcriptional regulatory networks
T helper cells
cell culture
next generation sequencing
RNA and DNA FISH
CD4+
bioinformatics
FACS
confocal microscopy
epigenomics
helper T cells