North Carolina State University - Department Of Genetics

I study the genetic controls of animal development in the model Caenorhabditis elegans. Specifically, I'm interested in learning how gene regulatory networks control development of the reproductive organs. The reproductive organs are generated from precursor cells that have the potential to generate all tissues of the adult organ. These precursor cells divide to generate cells that are increasingly restricted in their developmental potential until they finally differentiate into the mature tissues of the organ. Organ precursor cells thus serve as a paradigm for understanding how stem cells develop into a wide array of differentiated tissues. In C. elegans, the adult reproductive organs develop from a primordium that contains four precursor cells – two somatic gonadal precursors (SGPs) and two germ line precursors. Genetic studies have identified several transcriptional regulators that control early aspects of SGP development. These genes act together to control key cell fate decisions, and they are part of a larger gene regulatory network that guides the SGPs along their developmental path. To identify new genes in the network, we are using a combination of classical and molecular genetics/genomics: forward and reverse genetic screens, whole genome yeast one- and two-hybrid screens and chromatin immunoprecipitation combined with whole genome tiling arrays or massively parallel sequencing. The long-term goal of the lab is to describe the complete genetic network controlling SGP development. This will provide insight into the architecture of genetic networks controlling organogenesis, which in turn will provide insight into the process by which precursor cells are guided along their trajectory to become differentiated cell types.