identifying molecular translators
Patterning cues along the anteroposterior axis are required for extension of that axis… but how is this coordination achieved at the molecular level? We are working to identify ‘molecular translators’ that allow complex spatial cues to be interpreted by an embryo’s morphogenetic machinery.
tissue-specific morphogenesis
Each tissue within a developing embryo takes on its own distinct shape AND contributes to the shaping of the embryo as a whole. Such tissue-specific morphogenesis is essential for proper embryonic form and function, but how does a tissue’s identity determines the cell behaviors that produce its unique form? We aim to identify the molecular drivers that determine the morphogenesis of one tissue vs. another.
Zebrafish models of neural tube defects
Neural tube defects (NTDs), such as spina bifida and exencephaly, are devastating conditions that arise from improper morphogenesis of the future brain and spinal cord. In collaboration with human geneticists, we use zebrafish embryos to model NTDs in hopes of developing better diagnosis and prevention strategies.
timing of morphogenesis
Morphogenesis begins exactly on time in our ex vivo model, despite its isolation from endogenous embryonic cues. This implies that these cells possess an internal ‘morphogenetic clock’. We want to know, what is the molecular basis of this clock? And how does it set morphogenesis in motion?
