Regulation of Wnt signaling

Description of projects available to graduate students:
Wnt signaling plays a central role in development and cancer. Several separate signaling pathways transduce Wnt signals. The canonical pathway has been involved in cell proliferation and malignancy; the non-canonical pathways are involved in cell migration and in the establishment of cell polarity. We are investigating the mechanisms that modulate the relative input to the canonical and non-canonical pathways using cell culture, mouse models and zebrafish development. In particular, we are focusing on the role of the adapter protein NHERF1 in the regulation of Wnt signals.

Techniques graduate student will learn:
-Optical techniques: confocal and electron microscopy, live cell imaging, zebrafish imaging.
-Protein chemistry.
-Immunodetection methods.
-siRNA/shRNA.
-Cell biology assays (cell migration, proliferation, polarization).