Ahmet F. Coskun, Ph.D.
Bernie Marcus Early-Career Professor
Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering
Georgia Institute of Technology & Emory University
Seminar Information
The spatial organization of cells in tissues and subcellular networks can be considered as a quantitative metric in determining the health and disease states. Single-cell analyses of molecular profiles with in-situ detection methods dissect spatial heterogeneity of distinct cell types. Such detailed cellular “Google maps” shed light on the spatial regulation mechanisms of many disorders. The next challenge in spatial biology is to link the cellular functional responses to the cell identities and phenotypes in their native three-dimensional (3D) environments. To achieve this important goal, image-based multiparameter molecular profiling has the potential to decode high-dimensional dynamics of signaling and metabolism at the subcellular and molecular level in complex tissues and organs.
In this talk, I will introduce multiplex imaging modalities (genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) to decipher the spatial and temporal decision-making of single cells at macromolecular resolution in engineered organoids and human tissues for systems immuno-engineering, subcellular precision oncology, and personalized regenerative medicine applications. Automated machine learning algorithms in this single-cell big data impact biomedical practice and clinical care. In the last part of the talk, digital technologies interfacing cellular interactive media will be presented using the virtual reality of 3D spatial omics. Single-cell biotechnologies and digital cellular media tools synergistically complement each other for next-generation bioengineering, crowd-sourced education, and collaborative discovery platforms.
Dr. Coskun is currently a Bernie-Marcus Early-Career Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University. Dr. Coskun is a systems biotechnologist and bioengineer, working at the nexus of multiplexed cell imaging and quantitative tissue biology. Dr. Coskun directs an interdisciplinary research team at the Single Cell Biotechnology Laboratory, an interdisciplinary program that is strategically positioned for multiparameter imaging one cell at a time by spatial context and function. Dr. Coskun holds 5 issued patents and is also the co-author of >40 peer-reviewed publications in major scientific journals. Previously, Dr. Coskun was an Instructor at Stanford University. Dr. Coskun received his postdoctoral training from the California Institute of Technology. He holds a Ph.D. degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. His research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIAID and NCI), Wellcome LEAP, Burroughs Wellcome Fund (CASI), NSF CMaT, American Cancer Society IRG, and Multi-cellular engineered living systems (M-CELS). He is a recipient of the Student Recognition of Excellence in Teaching: Class of 1934 CIOS Award. In addition, he leads outreach programs to engage K12 students and undergraduate students through BioCrowd Studio, an innovative crowd-sourcing program bringing together interactive virtual media, distributed biokits, and collaborative spatial discovery.