Genomic imprinting and the control of stem cell differentiation

Description of projects available to graduate students:
The epigenetic modification of the mammalian genome by DNA cytosine methylation is important for regulating gene expression, for embryonic development, and for the creation of pluripotent embryonic stem cells. Our laboratory studies the molecular mechanism of genomic imprinting, a form of inheritance in which parental alleles of a gene are distinguished by differences in expression and methylation. The mouse is our experimental system. Imprinting is an absolute requirement for creating pluripotent stem cells in the early mammalian embryo, which, in turn, are needed for normal embryonic development. We also investigate the regulation of embryonic stem (ES) cell differentiation into pancreatic b cells, using normal, genetically modified, and epigenetically modified ES cells. Other projects in the laboratory include determining the genetic and developmental etiology of ovarian teratomas, and understanding the structure and function of the DNA cytosine methyltransferase-1 enzyme.

Techniques: Mouse embryology and embryo culture techniques, transgenic and knockout mouse technologies, techniques of embryonic stem (ES) cell differentiation, DNA cloning techniques, methods of analyzing gene expression, immunohistochemistry and immunocytochemistry.

Techniques graduate student will learn:
TBA