BME Seminar: “Nature vs. Nurture: Decoding genetic and environmental contributions to human cell fitness”

Details

Jason Cantor, Ph.D.
Investigator, Morgridge Institute for Research;
Assistant Professor,
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Abstract: Cell behavior is shaped by an interplay of intrinsic and extrinsic factors, yet most human cell studies rely on model systems that fail to faithfully reflect metabolic conditions within the human body. This discrepancy not only compromises physiologic relevance but also effectively creates “metabolic blind spots” in our understanding of fundamental cell biology and drug efficacy. My research program leverages bioengineered environments to address this modeling gap. By using more physiologic systems, we provide a mechanistic lens to reveal biological insights that are often masked or overlooked in standard models.

This talk will describe the systematic development and application of human plasma-like medium (HPLM) and how this physiologic “soil” of cell culture can reveal hidden insights into metabolic regulation, gene essentiality, and drug sensitivity. In addition, I will present ongoing work using our new bioreactor platform for continuous-flow culture at metabolic steady state. By studying cell behavior under these tightly controlled “circulation-like” conditions, we aim to generate unique views of blood cancers and immunity with unprecedented control and relevance to human physiology. Ultimately, these platforms enable us to advance current knowledge of human health and disease by considering the critical role of the metabolic environment in cell fitness.

Bio: Jason Cantor currently holds dual appointments as an Investigator at the Morgridge Institute for Research and as an Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with memberships in the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center and the Wisconsin Blood Cancer Research Institute. Dr. Cantor leads a multidisciplinary research group that employs bioengineered models to elucidate genetic and environmental determinants of cell fitness in cancer and immunity. By bridging the gap between traditional models and physiologic reality, his group provides the scientific community with a more accurate lens for studying human health and disease. Work from the Cantor laboratory has demonstrated the profound impact of nutrient conditions on genetic dependencies and drug sensitivity in human cancer cells, uncovering conditionally essential roles for specific proteins and new insights into anticancer mechanisms of drug action.

Jason earned his B.S. magna cum laude in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University before completing his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, where his research focused on protein engineering strategies to reduce the immunogenicity of enzymes for cancer therapy. He then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Whitehead Institute/MIT, where he developed human plasma-like medium (HPLM), now globally distributed by Thermo Fisher Scientific. Dr. Cantor has received numerous honors, including the NIH-NIGMS MIRA R35 Investigator Award, the NIH-NCI K22 Career Transition Award, the American Cancer Society Research Scholar Grant, the Hartwell Foundation Individual Biomedical Research Award, and the American Cancer Society Discovery Boost Grant; he was also a Finalist for the Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovation Award.