Despite the availability of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-binding peptide prediction algorithms, the development of T-cell vaccines against pathogen and tumor antigens remains challenged by inefficient identification of immunogenic epitopes. CD8+ T cells must distinguish immunogenic epitopes from nonimmunogenic self peptides to respond effectively against an antigen without endangering the viability of the host. Because this discrimination is fundamental to our understanding of immune recognition and critical for rational vaccine design, we interrogated the biochemical properties of 9,888 MHC class I peptides. We identified a strong bias toward hydrophobic amino acids at T-cell receptor contact residues within immunogenic epitopes of MHC allomorphs, which permitted us to develop and train a hydrophobicity-based artificial neural network (ANN-Hydro) to predict immunogenic epitopes. The immunogenicity model was validated in a blinded in vivo overlapping epitope discovery study of 364 peptides from three HIV-1 Gag protein variants. Applying the ANN-Hydro model on existing peptide-MHC algorithms consistently reduced the number of candidate peptides across multiple antigens and may provide a correlate with immunodominance. Hydrophobicity of TCR contact residues is a hallmark of immunogenic epitopes and marks a step toward eliminating the need for empirical epitope testing for vaccine development.

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heritage theatre and semiotics: Framing a performance at an ancestral hall abstract This 'heritage theatre' programme was an innovative venture in 2009 by the Hong Kong Drama/Theatre and Education Forum as a way of introducing history education to primary and secondary school students in Hong Kong. Through an interactive performance given in two ancestral halls of the oldest Tang clan, which were categorized and protected by the government as Grade 1 heritage architecture, students and teachers were given the chance to discuss the relationship between history and heritage buildings, as well as the meanings of and difficulties in preserving these buildings. I was a consultant and participant-researcher in this study. This article highlights a critical incident that occurred at the final rehearsal, which pushed us to rethink the function of heritage theatre as museum theatre, and the methodological elements we need to take into consideration for the best facilitation of such an applied art form.

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