A central goal of developmental biology is to understand the processes by which changes in cell shape and cell movement, that generate the architecture of tissues and organs, are coordinated during embryonic life. These processes, known collectively as morphogenesis, are integral to the development of individuals from fertilized egg to complex adult; when they go wrong, profound structural defects result. In humans, structural birth defects represent a major class of birth defects. Thus, understanding the mechanisms that orchestrate embryonic morphogenesis is essential to understanding human congenital diseases of development.
Our long-term goal is to answer the question of how the varied body forms of vertebrates are generated during development. Another related goal is to understand how cells are patterned and assigned cell fates. We address these fundamental questions using the zebrafish system, which provides a variety of methodologies to study gene function, and is ideal for analyzing morphogenesis and cell fate due to the transparency of the embryo. By examining morphogenesis and patterning in detail in a vertebrate embryo, we are learning about general cellular properties and mechanisms of development that we anticipate will be widely used throughout animal development.
For details on current projects in the lab please click here. If you are interested in research opportunities (undergraduate, graduate or post-doctoral) in the Bruce lab please click here