The Molecular Basis for Skeletal Patterning in Sea Urchins

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This project focuses on the topic of embryonic pattern formation, which is a central aspect of embryonic development in all animals. Pattern formation relies on communication between cell types as they progressively mold each other into the organs and structures that make up the body. This problem is very difficult to pursue in vertebrate animals due to their complexity. Since developmental mechanisms are highly conserved across animals, the proposed study instead addresses the problem of how one cell type directs the patterning of another cell type using sea urchin embryos, which offer an elegant patterning process in a comparatively simple system: the larval skeleton. Prior work identified multiple conserved genes that are required for skeletal patterning in sea urchin embryos; this project will use biochemical and molecular approaches to understand how these genes work together to generate the three-dimensional skeletal pattern. The results will define a mechanism for patterning as a result of communication between cell types and tissues; because the genes involved are highly conserved, this information will likely become a paradigm for patterning in more complex animals. The study will directly involve the participation of multiple undergraduate students, integrating their classroom knowledge with hands-on laboratory experiences, as well as scientific outreach to high school students in the Boston area to promote their interest in scientific careers. Finally, this project includes training of Boston area high school teachers in the summers, including classroom and laboratory experiences, with the intent of fostering the teaching of developmental biology in the high school science classroom.