Research Topics

Development

A single fertilized cell contains the DNA encoding all of the proteins necessary for the development. As the egg divides into its earliest stem cells, signal transduction molecules and transcription factors begin to act as molecular switches, turning some genes off in certain cells, while turning others on. So begins differentiation into the multitude of different cell types that make up the mature organism. In the earliest stages, morula becomes blastula, and blastula becomes gastrula, leading to the formation of germ layers (ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm), each destined to become specific cell types and tissues. Morphogens form gradients of environmental cues that regulate embryonic pattern formation and cell fate, while adhesion molecules and proteases control cell migration and the molding of tissues into their characteristic forms. Specialized cues refine the formation of certain organ systems such as the axon guidance molecules that regulate nervous system development, and the growth factors and cytokines responsible for controlling angiogenesis/vasculogenesis and hematopoiesis. It is the complex integration this array of developmental signals that results in a single fertilized egg developing into an organism that, in humans, includes cells numbering in the trillions.

Adhesion Molecules
Angiogenesis
Apoptosis
Axon Guidance
Bone Growth & Remodeling
Cell Cycle
Cellular Senescence & Pathways in Aging
Genotoxic Stress Response/Cell Cycle
Growth Factors
Hematopoiesis
Hormones & Receptors
Morphogens, Pattern Formation & Cell Fate
Proteases
Signal Transduction
Transcription Factors & Regulators