In this cutting-edge therapy (short video on this topic from Abramson), T cells are removed from the patient, genetically engineered, and then injected back in the patient. Permanent remission of cancer can take as little as a few days.
Read on to learn how Dr. O’Connor has counted on Lasergene for two decades of this groundbreaking research.
What led to your career in immunometabolism?
I was inspired to pursue science by Dr Phil Jakeman, a professor who taught me undergraduate physiology and metabolism at the University of Limerick (Ireland).
There were several forks in the road that led me to my current specialty, including my graduate studies with Drs. Rupp and Doyle at Georgia State University and my formative training in basic stem cell biology with Dr. Grace Pavlath at Emory.
One of my postdoctoral advisors at Penn thought my skillset was ideally suited to immunometabolism, since I had a background in both metabolism and T cell immunology. My postdoc research focused on cancer biology and CAR T cell immunotherapy.
What have you accomplished so far, and what’s next?
Our lab is constantly striving to be innovative. Our current challenge is to develop conditioning strategies and genetic engineering approaches to enhance CAR T cell metabolic fitness and anti-tumor function. Recently, we successfully rewired T cells to oxidize lactate. I am also very excited about our studies of chronic antigen exposure in vitro.
What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your research?
How long have you been using Lasergene?
Since 2005! And in December, I purchased another 3-year license.
Though I use several bioinformatics tools, I’m a longstanding and loyal fan of Lasergene. I was introduced by my good friend Dr Patrick Mitchell when we were graduate students at Emory. He was a true Lasergene afficiando and taught me the nuances of cloning, retroviral design, primer design and RT-PCR. Roddy says: “I think it’s the best software for learning cloning strategies and other aspect of molecular biology as a student.”
For over a decade, I used SeqBuilder, PrimerSelect, and EditSeq for cloning, plasmid design, and primer design. The primer design workflow was optimized for specificity and sharp bands on a gel, back when we ran agarose gels! These workflows can now all be done in SeqBuilder Pro, which I find easy to use and straightforward, with great graphics.
Customer service has been great over the years. For example, back when Lasergene 15 was the current version, I needed help using it on an older laptop. The staff were always so helpful.
Tell us about your life outside work
Friends would describe me as having a warm and friendly personality.
Hobby-wise, I have been bitten by the triathlon bug and completed several triathlons around the USA, including in Georgia, Philadelphia, Jersey Shore, and Malibu.
We at DNASTAR congratulate Roddy on his amazing scientific achievements and his loyalty to Lasergene software over the past two decades and counting.
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