NSF Award
0843028
Much of animal development involves the growth and patterning of cell layers called epithelia. Normal epithelial development requires that epithelial cells are able to sense where they are within the layer and can orient, or polarize, themselves correctly in response to this information. How genetic signals control epithelial cell polarization has been most effectively addressed using the fruit fly Drosophila as a model organism. To date, however, studies in Drosophila have only addressed how cells are polarized in a single direction or along one axis of the epithelium. Recent work using Drosophila in Dr Collier's lab has begun to identify genetic mechanisms that polarize cells along both epithelial axes. This research project will further characterize these mechanisms resulting in a more complete understanding of normal epithelial development. Dr Collier's research lab is in Marshall University, the second largest state institution for higher learning in West Virginia. A large majority of Marshall students are first generation students from Appalachia, a region with considerable educational challenges. Dr Collier's lab has a strong history of providing opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and K-12 students to participate in genetics research. This activity will continue to develop throughout the course of this research project.
