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SUMMARY:Comparative Analyses of Neuromesodermal Progenitor Dynamics in viv
 o - Ben Steventon (University of Cambridge)
DTSTART:20160203T130000Z
DTEND:20160203T140000Z
UID:TALK62637@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Marcia Kishida
DESCRIPTION:I am interested in the development of a bipotent population of
  stem cells called neuromesodermal progenitors. This essential cell popula
 tion provides a continuous source of spinal cord and mesodermal progenitor
 s during elongation of the posterior body axis. Despite apparent conservat
 ion in the expression of key gene regulatory and signalling components tha
 t are known to be important for the maintenance of this stem cell populati
 on\, I have recently shown that there are considerable differences in the 
 cell behaviours that are modulated by these mechanisms across vertebrate s
 pecies. This depends largely on the degree to which growth occurs concomit
 antly with the establishment of the body axis. This data will be presented
  together with a large scale live imaging study of amphioxus gastrulation.
  Surprisingly\, we have found that the cell behaviours driving elongation 
 of the body axis is remarkably simple during these stages\, with orientati
 on of cell division being solely responsible for this process. By applying
  a combination of live imaging and quantitative single-cell gene expressio
 n analyses across a range of chordate models\, I now aim to further explor
 e the fundamental question of how conserved molecular mechanisms at the th
 e cell population level can drive divergent morphogenetic processes at the
  level of single cells in order to produce the diverse array of chordate b
 ody plans.
LOCATION:Part II Lecture Theatre\, Department of Zoology
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