Huang LAI (middle) receives the award from Ir Professor H.C. MAN (left), Dean of Faculty of Engineering and Dr LOO Ka-Hong, Associate Professor and Assistant Dean (External Engagement) of Faculty of Engineering
PolyU BME PhD student Huang LAI won the First Runner-up at the Faculty of Engineering Three Minute Thesis Competition (3MT®), which was held on 5 June 2024 on PolyU campus, by presenting the topic “Droplet Microfluidics for Single-T-cell Activation in situ Analysis”.
All 3MT® participants were nominated by their departments of the Faculty of Engineering. Each department could nominate three students at most, and they were rated by the Judging Panel, chaired by Dr LOO Ka-Hong, Associate Professor and Assistant Dean (External Engagement), Faculty of Engineering and comprising departmental representatives.
Developed by the University of Queensland, Australia, 3MT® cultivates the academic, presentation, and research communication skills of research students and supports their capacity to effectively explain their research in three minutes in a language appropriate to non-specialist audiences. The competition is a globally recognized competition which are now held in over 900 universities across more than 85 countries worldwide.
About Huang LAI’s Presentation
“Droplet Microfluidics for Single-T-cell Activation in situ Analysis”
Immunotherapy is a more targeted and safer cancer treatment compared to chemotherapy and radiation therapy. However, one challenge is determining how well the immune cells, called T cells, are activated to fight against cancer. To address this, we developed an innovative platform called droplet microfluidics, inspired by a water tap.
Imagine when you accidentally leave the tap slightly open, and you see small droplets falling. That's similar to what we do in our research. We create tiny droplets, and each droplet contains a single T cell. It's like putting each cell in its own tiny room.
Next, we inject special materials with fluorescent tags into these droplets to activate the T cells. When a T cell gets activated, it lights up inside the droplet. It's like a mini-light show.
By using this method, we can observe and study the T cells under a microscope. We can see which cells are lighting up and thus determine how well the immunotherapy is working. This information is crucial for improving and personalizing immunotherapy treatments for each patient.
By combining the concept of droplets with the power of the immune system, we hope to contribute to more effective and personalized cancer treatments."
