Dr. Dan Wagner
Forming Fish: How Does the Embryo Shape Itself?
Like all vertebrates, the early zebrafish embryo looks
like a lump of undifferentiated cells. Within 24 hours this
lump is transformed into a shape that clearly resembles
a little fish. Executing this change requires many different
coordinated processes that contribute to embryo shape formation
or “morphogenesis”. If any of these processes
go wrong it will result in birth defects. In the Wagner
lab we want to find out how the genes of the zebrafish embryo
direct morphogenesis. To do this we develop tools that allow
us observe how cells are moving in living embryos and we
analyze mutant embryos that are defective in specific processes
that are required for morphogenesis. As a Century Scholar
in my lab you will develop new tools that will allow us
to look at how cells are moving in the early embryo. You
will use molecular biology methods to make fluorescent protein
probes that will bind to specific structures inside cells.
You will use these probes to observe how cells are organized
in developing embryos and how this organization changes
as the cells execute various morphogenetic processes. Through
this analysis you will be exposed to a wide variety of genetic,
molecular and embryological methods as you investigate the
essential underpinnings of embryo development.
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