Scientist leading preclinical studies focusing on the development of allogenic cell therapy product leveraging the iNKT cell platform. Develop in vitro and in vivo studies to validate efficacy and safety of CAR targets for solid tumors.Develop preclinical studies to evaluate therapeutic potential of drug combinations with cell therapy targeting various cancer indications.

Scientist in preclinical research to validate engineered TCRs directed towards PTTs (Phosphopeptide Tumor Targets) neo-antigens in the context of T Cell Receptor Therapies (Cellular immunotherapy). Develop cell-based assays and in vivo assays to determine efficacy, specificity and safety of T-cell therapies. Formerly AgenTus Therapeutics

Scientist in preclinical research to validate engineered TCRs directed towards PTTs (Phosphopeptide Tumor Targets) neo-antigens in the context of T Cell Receptor Therapies (Cellular immunotherapy). Develop cell-based assays and in vivo assays to determine efficacy, specificity and safety of T-cell therapies.

My research focused on deciphering mechanisms to improve Natural killer (NK) cells anti-tumor function. I was especially studying the killing ability of NK cells towards tumor cells in the fields of obesity, immunometabolism, tumor micro-environment, and immunotherapy. - Field of expertise : Immunology, Metabolism, Cell biology, Cancer biology, Immunotherapy, Obesity.- Design, developed and optimized innovative and complex cell based assays (Tumor killing assay, obesity-reconstitution system, co-cultures assays, cytokine production assays)- Culture and engineering of primary NK cells, YTS cells and tumors cells. - Flow cytometry and FACS based cell characterization, Bioenergetics analysis using Seahorse Technology, Confocal Imaging, Cell culture, Cell isolation and purification, QPCR, Western Blot. Main publications:Adipose Type One Innate Lymphoid Cells Regulate Macrophage Homeostasis through Targeted Cytotoxicity. 2017. Immunity. Boulenouar, S., X. Michelet, D. Duquette, D. Alvarez, A.E. Hogan, C. Dold, D. O'Connor, S. Stutte, A. Tavakkoli, D. Winters, M.A. Exley, D. O'Shea, M.B. Brenner, U. von Andrian, and L. Lynch.

Conducted independent research to investigate the role of membrane trafficking factors in the establishment of the immune response during bacterial infection: 1. Demonstrate the role of the lysosomal GTPase ARL8b in MHC II antigen presentation in dendritic cells. 2. Analysis of ARL8b mediated plasma membrane repair in mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in macrophages- Field of expertise : Immunology, Cell biology, Infectiology, molecular biology.- Design, developed and optimized cell based assays (various transfection and transduction assays, Phagocytosis assays, MHC I/II, CD1d antigen presentation assays, co-culture systems, bacterial infection assays, highthroughput shRNA screen).- Culture and engineering of primary human and mouse dendritic cells, macrophages, T-cells, iNKT cells, as well as immortalized cell lines such as KG1, K562, YTS, HeLa, Hek 293T, Jurkat, D1, THP1, etc)- Flow cytometry and FACS based cell characterization, Confocal Imaging, Cell culture, Cell isolation and purification, shRNA/siRNA technology, transduction, electroporation, cloning, QPCR, Western Blot. Main publications:Michelet X, Garg S, Wolf BJ, Tuli A, Ricciardi-Castagnoli P, Brenner MB. MHC class II presentation is controlled by the lysosomal small GTPase, Arl8b. J Immunol. 2015 Mar 1;194(5):2079-88Lynch L, Michelet X, Zhang S, Brennan PJ, Moseman A, Lester C, Besra G, Vomhof-Dekrey EE, Tighe M, Koay HF, Godfrey DI, Leadbetter EA, Sant'Angelo DB, von Andrian U, Brenner MB. Regulatory iNKT cells lack expression of the transcription factor PLZF and control the homeostasis of T(reg) cells and macrophages in adipose tissue. Nat Immunol. 2015 Jan;16(1):85-95.Tuli A, Thiery J, James AM, Michelet X, Sharma M, Garg S, Sanborn KB, Orange JS, Lieberman J, Brenner MB. Arf-like GTPase Arl8b regulates lytic granule polarization and natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Mol Biol Cell. 2013 Dec;24(23):3721-35.

Study of the role of class E VPS proteins during endocytosis and the development of the nematode C. elegans. Study of the relationship between endosomal maturation and autophagy during the development of C. elegans.Main publications:Djeddi A*, Michelet X*, Culetto E*, Alberti A, Barois N, Legouis R. Induction of autophagy in ESCRT mutants is an adaptive response for cell survival in C. elegans. J Cell Sci 2012; 125:685-94. (* Co-first author)Alberti A*, Michelet X*, Djeddi A*, Legouis R. The autophagosomal protein LGG-2 acts synergistically with LGG-1 in dauer formation and longevity in C. elegans. Autophagy 2010; 6. (* Co-first author)Michelet X, Alberti A, Benkemoun L, Roudier N, Lefebvre C, Legouis R. The ESCRT-III protein CeVPS-32 is enriched in domains distinct from CeVPS-27 and CeVPS-23 at the endosomal membrane of epithelial cells. Biol Cell 2009.