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 How Stem Cell Fate Is Decided
Camilla Forsberg, Dept. of Biomolecular Engineering
Camila Forsberg's research group focuses on stem cell fate decisions that give rise to variant blood cell types. Are such decisions made by the stem cell itself, by its descendant multipotent progenitors, or both? To answer such questions, Forsberg's group conducts molecular lineage tracing of HSC differentiation in vivo. In order to elucidate the mechanisms of fate decisions, they employ global analyses, such as genome-wide gene expression analysis and chromatin remodeling assays. The ultimate goal of this research is to facilitate our ability to direct specific fates and improve clinical applications of hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic stem cell therapy. [More]
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 Genome Bioinformatics: Comparative Sequence Analysis of Mammalian Genomes
David Haussler, Dept. of Biomolecular Engineering
Dr. Haussler's research lies at the interface of mathematics, computer science, and molecular biology. He has focused on computational analysis and classification of DNA, RNA, and protein sequences. As a collaborator on the public Human Genome Project, his team posted the first publicly available computational assembly of the human genome sequence on the Internet, and it now maintains UCSC's Genome Browser, which is used extensively in biomedical research. [More]
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 Computational Functional Genomics
Josh Stuart, Dept. of Biomolecular Engineering
Josh Stuart's research group develops computational approaches for predicting gene function and discovering how gene activity is regulated and modulated in response to cellular events and processes. Their methods combine genome-wide functional data across multiple organisms to identify conserved genetic mechanisms. The group has three broad aims: 1) to develop computational models to predict gene function, 2) to integrate datasets across multiple organisms to identify core molecular pathways, and 3) to develop algorithms and resources for biological discovery. Stuart also collaborates with numerous colleagues at UCSC and elsewhere to predict molecular targets of drugs, causal networks in disease, and pathways involved in stem cell differentiation. [More]
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 Mammalian Brain Development
Bin Chen , Dept. MCD Biology
The cerebral cortex is the seat of our highest cognitive and perceptual function. It has been estimated that there are hundreds of different neuronal cell types in the cerebral cortex. The proper generation of these different neuronal types and the formation of their appropriate connections is essential for brain function. However, not much is known about how genes regulate the generation of these different types of neurons and the connections between them. Research in the Chen lab is aimed at identifying different transcription factors and signaling pathways critical for the development of cerebral cortex. Using mouse as a model system and a combination of gene knockouts, mis-expression experiments, neuronal tracings and cell culture experiments to explore these areas [More] |
 The Generation of Neural Connections
David Feldheim , Dept. MCD Biology
Higher cognitive functions in mammals are dependent upon complex neural connections in the brain. The Feldheim laboratory examines the development of the primary visual system in the mouse brain to understand how such connections are generated. [More] |
 Regulation of Chromatin Structure and Gene Expression
John Tamkun, Dept. of MCD Biology
The Tamkun lab investigates regulation of chromatin's high order structure and its role in gene expression. Composed of DNA and proteins, chromatin's ability to fold enables the eukaryotic genome to be packaged into an extremely small space inside the nucleus of the cell. Proper transcription and replication of the genome also depend upon precise regulation of these dynamic structures, with defects in these processes believed to underly many human diseases. [More]
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 Methylating Agents and the Treatment of Cancer
Manel Camps, Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology
Spontaneous DNA Methylation results from methyl donors reacting with DNA. DNA methylation is a potent carcinogen. Paradoxically, in addition to being carcinogenic, methylating agents are also mainstays for cancer treatment. Among his research interests, Dr. Camps examines the molecular mechanisms of methylating agent toxicity to design safer and more effective strategies for cancer chemotherapy. [More]
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