The present disclosure is drawn to methods of utilizing nucleic acid barcodes and corresponding amplifying sites in cells in which the barcodes naturally occur. These barcodes and amplifying sites are reconfigured into a single nucleic acid cassette that provides for ease of use in tagging particular species, strains, or variants of cells, each with a different barcode. These barcodes can be used to track the colonization capabilities of the barcoded cells. The present disclosure further provides for assays that utilize natural barcodes to measure relative microbial colonization ability of a plant root system.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to a method for modifying a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell comprising contacting the CAR-T cell ex vivo with an inhibitor, wherein the inhibitor comprises an inhibitor of PI3K, AKT, mTOR, c-MYC, SREBP, or combinations thereof. Further aspects relate to a CAR-T cell or cells made by the method of the disclosure. Also described are populations of CAR-T cells made by methods of the disclosure or derived from cells of the disclosure. The term “derived” refers to a cell that is the progeny of the cell from which it is derived. It may have further modifications or may be unmodified from the parent cell. Further aspects relate to a method for treating a subject comprising administering the cell or cells of the disclosure. Compositions comprising an inhibitor of PI3K, AKT, mTOR, c-MYC, SREBP, or combinations thereof and CAR-T cells are also disclosed.

The present disclosure relates, in part, to a composition comprising a nucleic acid, wherein the nucleic acid encodes a protein which has a reduced abundance in a GTPase IMAP family 5 (GIMAP5) deficient subject or at least partially inhibits expression of a protein which has an increased abundance in a GIMAP5 deficient subject, as compared to a healthy subject. In certain embodiments, the composition is a nucleic acid-lipid particle. In certain embodiments, the composition is a polymer-based vehicle. In another aspect, the present disclosure relates to a recombinant viral vector comprising a nucleic acid encoding a protein which has a reduced abundance in a GIMAP5 deficient subject as compared to a healthy subject. In yet another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method of treating, ameliorating, and/or preventing liver disease and/or portal hypertension in a subject with administration of one or more compositions and/or vectors of the present disclosure.