IMMUNOLOGY2026™ Conference Recordings For Attendees-A life with B cells: From activation to antibody responses

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Video Summary

Facundo, born in Argentina, shared a personal and scientific journey from a student dreaming of marine biology to an immunologist recognized for major contributions in B-cell research. He described overcoming language barriers, international moves, and career uncertainty to train in Italy and later at Cambridge, where mentors like César Milstein and Michael Neuberger shaped his thinking.<br /><br />His research evolved from basic antibody biology to the discovery that B-cell receptors are not just passive surface molecules but are organized and regulated by the cytoskeleton and antigen “islands.” He also showed that antigen recognition in vivo involves important roles for macrophages and dendritic cells in lymph nodes.<br /><br />After moving to the Reagan Institute in Boston, his lab focused on vaccine design, especially for HIV. Using advanced CRISPR-based mouse engineering, his team rapidly built humanized mouse models to test immunogens. A major theme of the talk was “antibody feedback”: antibodies can either block or shape germinal center responses, depending on affinity and concentration. He argued that local antibody responses in lymph nodes can regulate which B cells mature during vaccination.<br /><br />He concluded that these insights could improve vaccines for HIV, flu, COVID-19, malaria, and other diseases, and dedicated the award to his collaborators, family, and late mentor Michael Neuberger.

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Date April 17, 2026 12:45 PM - 1:45 PM

Room 157

Session AAI-BioLegend Herzenberg Award Presentation and Lecture

Speaker Facundo Batista

Track Lymphocyte Differentiation and Peripheral Maintenance (LYM)

Year 2026

Keywords

B-cell research

immunology

antibody feedback

germinal centers

vaccine design

HIV vaccines

CRISPR mouse models

lymph node antigen recognition

humanized mice

April 17, 2026 12:45 PM - 1:45 PM

157

AAI-BioLegend Herzenberg Award Presentation and Lecture

Facundo Batista

Lymphocyte Differentiation and Peripheral Maintenance (LYM)

2026