Developmental Biology
The development of a multi-cellular organism from a single cell is characterized by morphogenesis of a patterned body plan and the formation of specialized organs with multiple cell types. These events involve the regulation of cell growth, differentiation and cell death. Our faculty use model developing systems (C. elegans, Drosophila, Xenopus, zebrafish) that allow visualization as well as physical and genetic manipulation of developing embryos. Cancer represents an imbalance in the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation and death, thus development can provide a model system to study cancer origins and disease progression.
Faculty who work in this area include:
Susan Mango
Joe Yost
Barbara Graves
Don Ayer
Mary Beckerle
Mario Capecchi
Nadeem Moghal
