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Neil Tay

Neil Tay

Immunologist and synthetic biologist developing cell‑interaction technologies

neiltay
San Francisco, California
Joined January 2026
Favicon imageorcid.org
Favicon imagescholar.google.com
Favicon imagemcmanuslab.ucsf.edu
Favicon imageprofiles.ucsf.edu

Summary

Tool developer for high‑throughput cell‑interaction measurement: Tay has developed and applied barcode transfer and optical barcoding methods (Relay, RainBar) that enable scalable measurement of cell–cell interactions and permit pairing with sequencing-based readouts and pooled CRISPR approaches. ucsf+2
Cancer immunology and antigen‑presenting cell biology: His research focuses on how antigen-presenting cells shape anti‑cancer immunity and on dissecting interactions between immune cells and cancer cells to inform immunotherapy strategies. ucsf+1
Collaborative academic researcher with a track record of peer‑reviewed publications: Tay has co-authored multiple peer‑reviewed studies on T cell and dendritic cell biology and on screening technologies, and he maintains researcher profiles (ORCID, Google Scholar) documenting these contributions. orcid+2
Bridges immunology and synthetic/engineering approaches: Across sources he frames his work as multidisciplinary—combining immunology, genomics, CRISPR, and synthetic biology to create new experimental frameworks for studying cell behavior. ucsf+1

Work

Education

Projects

Writing

RainBar: Optical Barcoding for Pooled Live-Cell Imaging with Single-Cell Resolution

November 1, 2025

Preprint describing RainBar, a lentiviral fluorescent optical barcoding system for pooled live-cell imaging that enables dynamic, single-cell–resolved pooled screens and recovery of known regulators in CRISPRi screens.

Favicon imagebiorxiv.org

US Patent Application (Tracking cell–cell interactions / related compositions)

January 1, 2025

Patent application listing Neil Tay and Michael T. McManus concerning compositions and methods related to tracking cell–cell interactions and related technologies (patent application cited in public records).

Favicon imagescholar.google.com

A Dual Inhibitor of Cdc7/Cdk9 Potently Suppresses T Cell Activation

January 1, 2019

Study showing that the Cdc7/Cdk9 inhibitor PHA-767491 impairs T cell activation phenotypes and TCR signaling, implicating these kinases in T cell activation.

Favicon imagepubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Ap4A Regulates Directional Mobility and Antigen Presentation in Dendritic Cells

January 1, 2019

Work on the role of diadenosine tetraphosphate (Ap4A) in regulating dendritic cell mobility and antigen presentation.

Favicon imagepubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

CD40L Expression Allows CD8+ T Cells to Promote Their Own Expansion and Differentiation through Dendritic Cells

January 1, 2017

Paper describing how CD40L expression on CD8+ T cells enables them to enhance their own expansion and differentiation via interactions with dendritic cells.

Favicon imagepubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Hobbies

Follows and comments on space and astronomy topics. nitter