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Research
themes

The germ line is where genomic changes transit from one generation to the next, so it sits at the interface between developmental and evolutionary biology. Our work builds on discoveries about how the C. elegans germ line stem cell niche is formed and how it regulates stem cells.

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The stem cell niche

We are undertaking mechanistic investigations of how niche-adjacent cells regulate niche function, how stem cells shape their niche, and how the niche supports stem cells and builds the gonad shape as it migrates during larval development.  

Collaborations: genetically manipulated worms for toxicology studies

We collaborate with Dr. Jessica Hartman of MUSC on projects related to aging, exercise, metabolism, and toxicity by making transgenic worms that express human proteins or tagged worm proteins. We have also studied polyploid worms to model the effects of polyploidy on cell susceptibility to chemotherepeutics. 

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