Tynan Gardner

Cell biology · Structural biology · Bioinformatics

Tynan Gardner

Ph.D. Candidate in Cell and Molecular Biology
Bioinformatics Track · The University of Texas at Austin

I combine computational protein structure prediction with experimental cell biology to study protein interactions that shape ciliogenesis and human disease.

Tynan Gardner

01

About

I am a Ph.D. candidate in Cell and Molecular Biology at The University of Texas at Austin, working across the Marcotte and Wallingford labs. My research uses computational and experimental approaches to understand how protein interactions contribute to cilia formation and human genetic disease. I am also the Regional Director of Operations for Nucleate Texas, a student-run nonprofit that supports early-stage biotechnology ventures.

I earned a B.A. in Molecular Biology from Princeton University, with a certificate in Engineering Biology. I expect to complete my Ph.D. in June 2028.

02

Research Experience

Graduate Research Assistant

Marcotte and Wallingford Labs · The University of Texas at Austin

Aug 2022–Present

  • Integrate deep-learning protein structure prediction, proteomics, and experimental cell biology to discover protein interactions involved in ciliogenesis and human genetic disease.
  • Conduct proteome-scale AlphaFold and AlphaFold-Multimer screens; combine structural confidence, proteomic, and evolutionary evidence to prioritize candidate interactions.
  • Discovered and characterized a functional interaction between the ciliopathy-associated protein Jbts17 and the distal appendage kinase Ttbk2, combining structure prediction with Xenopus experiments.
  • Validate computational predictions using molecular cloning, CRISPR/morpholino perturbation, mRNA overexpression, quantitative fluorescence microscopy, and protein interaction assays.
  • Develop Python, R, and Bash workflows for structural-model analysis, proteomics, and quantitative imaging on high-performance computing systems.

Research Specialist A

DiNardo Lab · University of Pennsylvania

Jul 2020–May 2022

  • Identified org-1, the Drosophila Tbx1 ortholog, as a regulator of testis stem-cell niche development; mutant niches showed severe disorganization and loss of cell-identity markers.
  • Used endogenous fluorescent reporters, immunofluorescence, and quantitative microscopy to characterize reduced Islet expression and loss of FasIII in org-1 mutant niches.

Undergraduate Researcher

Avalos Lab · Princeton University

Dec 2018–May 2020

  • Engineered a fluorescent biosensor-based screen using inhibitory camelid nanobodies to identify regulators of endogenous isopentanol and isobutanol biosynthesis in S. cerevisiae.

03

Selected Computational Projects

Proteome-Aware Peptide Design

Developing a computational framework for proteome-scale off-target screening of designed peptide binders to improve specificity and prioritize candidates for experimental validation.

CZI CELLxGENE Protein Interaction Screen

Screening thousands of co-expressed protein pairs selected from single-cell transcriptomic data using AlphaFold and Boltz to identify candidate physical interactions for experimental follow-up.

Bits to Binders · BioML Society

Developed a Boltz-based structural modeling workflow to predict approximately 12,000 submitted binder–CD20 complexes for large-scale evaluation of AI-designed CAR-T candidates.

04

Publications

  1. Gardner TP, Prolomova A, Lee C, Marcotte EM, Wallingford JB. Predicted structure of the complete CPLANE complex reveals novel interactors and mechanisms of Jbts17 during ciliogenesis. bioRxiv. 2026. Accepted at Molecular Biology of the Cell.

  2. Cox RM, Papoulas O, Shril S, Lee C, Gardner TP, et al. A protein interactome for the last eukaryotic common ancestor illuminates the biochemical basis of modern genetic diseases. Cell Genomics. 2026;6(6):101254. doi:10.1016/j.xgen.2026.101254.

  3. Kosonocky CW, Abel AM, Feller AL, Cifuentes Rieffer AE, Woolley PR, et al.; Gardner T; Bits to Binders Competitors; et al. Validation and analysis of 12,000 AI-driven CAR-T designs in the Bits to Binders competitions. bioRxiv. 2026. doi:10.64898/2026.03.03.709355.

  4. Hofe P, Harrington A, Gardner T, DiNardo S, Anllo L. The Tbx1 ortholog org-1 is required to establish testis stem cell niche identity in Drosophila. Development. 2026;153(1). doi:10.1242/dev.204914.

  5. Vazquez N, Lee C, Valenzuela I, Phan TP, Derderian C, et al.; Gardner TP; et al. The human ciliopathy protein RSG1 links the CPLANE complex to transition zone architecture. Nature Communications. 2025;16(1):5701. doi:10.1038/s41467-025-61005-8 .

05

Leadership

Regional Director, Texas · Co-Managing Director, Austin

Nucleate

Jan 2024–Present

  • Lead Nucleate's Texas region, coordinating approximately 50 student leaders across Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio.
  • Direct the Austin chapter and Activator, an equity-free accelerator for academic biotechnology ventures; connect founders with investors, industry experts, and entrepreneurial resources.
  • Develop statewide fundraising and strategic partnerships and organize ecosystem programs, including Texas Demo Day, SXSW programming, and the Nucleate Global Summit.

06

Photography

A few frames from outside the lab. The images below are from my existing photography gallery.

A magpie perched among leafy greenery
Gothic red-brick architecture rising against a blue sky
Philadelphia skyline in late-afternoon light
A stone grave marker and bottle among autumn leaves
The Philadelphia Museum of Art beneath a blue sky
A sculpted bust set into a memorial stone

07

Personal Interests

Outside of research, I enjoy singing, photography, backpacking, and hanging with my cat Mochi.