Research
Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are the foundational germline cells that eventually give rise to egg and sperm. Because PGCs carry physical materials transferred from one generation to the next, proper PGC development is crucial to individuals, to societies, and to species. Given this importance, PGCs are often set aside very early in embryogenesis, well before the testis or ovaries are formed, and must migrate through several tissues to reach the developing ovaries and testes.
The Questions that Drive Us:
What are the environmental factors that guide migratory PGCs during embryogenesis?
How are potent reproductive signals, such as lipid hormones, spatiotemporally controlled throughout the germline lifecycle?
What are the mechanisms by which PGCs quickly respond to changing environmental cues?
How is PGC migration coordinated with other reproductive developmental processes?
The Tools We Make and Use:
Gene editing to make single, double...quintuple mutant animals
Transgenic hormone and small molecule biosensors
Spatiotemporal expression systems for targeted genetic screens
Fixed and live whole animal fluorescence imaging
Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS)
ex vivo PGC migration and survival assays
Cell-type specific transcriptomics
Endpoint fecundity and fertility assessments