Cell Fate Specification During Development

During embryonic development in animals, cells acquire distinct properties through the activation of specific genes. This process allows different cell types to form. We are studying the gene regulatory network that controls specification of mesoderm and endoderm in the nematode, C. elegans. Through comparison with related nematodes, we are examining how this network has undergone evolutionary change over hundreds of millions of years. We also have active collaborations with the Ding lab studying the role of RNA interference in the antiviral response of C. elegans, and with the Parpura lab studying glial-like cells in the C. elegans nervous system. We are also collaborating with the Mackay lab (Australia) to study MED-1 structure.

In 2002 and 2006, the Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to C. elegans researchers. 2002 2006

More about our projects:
MED-1,2 and the C. elegans Mesendoderm  Regulatory Network  Virus replication