Robustness in developmental systems: how early development buffers genetic and environmental variation

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It is becoming clear that there exists abundant genetic and environmental variation that the developing organism must buffer against to produce a robust phenotype. Understanding the molecular genetic mechanisms that are involved in this buffering mechanism are necessary for a complete understanding of how shape, form, and proportion are generated during development. By integrating microfluidics technology, high throughput imaging, and artificial selection, my research program uses an innovative approach to studying in vivo how gene expression variation and function is regulated to produce a robust phenotype in spite of variation in the genotype, the environment, or both. This research will provide insight into how organisms develop robustly in the realistic context of a viable organism, and will improve our understanding of the factors affecting adaptation of organisms when their natural environment is perturbed.