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Master's Projects

AI-Driven Evolution of CD44v6-Targeting AAV Capsids for Precision Cancer Gene Therapy

This project sits at the interface of AI-designed gene therapy and cancer stem cell biology. AAV capsid variants, engineered by our partner lab in Heidelberg, will be tested in patient-derived colorectal cancer organoids to identify variants that preferentially target CD44v6+ tumor cells while sparing healthy colon tissue. The student will gain hands-on experience in organoid culture, viral transduction, and barcode-based sequencing readouts.

Cross-Talk Between Cancer Cells and Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts (CAFs) in Pancreatic Cancer

This project uses organoid–fibroblast co-cultures to study how paracrine signaling between pancreatic cancer cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) drives stromal remodeling, tumor invasiveness, and immune evasion. The student will gain hands-on experience in organoid–fibroblast co-culture, functional invasion assays, and profiling of tumor-stroma interactions.

Colorectal Cancer Cell Plasticity

Building on our recent work (Sonnentag, Orian-Rousseau et al., bioRxiv 2024), this project investigates how CD44v6-dependent signaling controls the reappearance of stem-like (Lgr5+) cells after their ablation in colorectal cancer organoids. The student will test CD44v6-blocking strategies to determine whether disrupting this signaling axis can prevent tumor regrowth.