Mission Statement
The formation of an organism from a fertilized egg is a beautiful process to behold. Coordinating that process are molecules; molecules that determine the identity and function of cells, execute communication between cells, coordinately regulate the shape and size of cells and subcellular structures, and control cellular and subcellular movement and behavior. The investigators in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology study the mechanisms by which molecules such as transcription factors, epigenetic regulators, non-coding RNAs, signaling molecules, adhesion molecules, and cytoskeletal proteins carry out these cellular functions. We study these processes in a variety of experimental organisms ranging from yeast to humans, using techniques that include bioinformatics, genomics, genetics, bioengineering, and imaging. Our overall goal is to understand at a molecular level the processes that govern cell behavior and the development of stem cells, organs, and organisms.
