Neurogenomics and Developmental Neuroscience

One of the key issues in developmental neurobiology is how diverse neurons and glia are generated from precursor cells. We utilize a simple experimental system, the Drosophila CNS midline cells, to study the molecular and cellular mechanisms that govern development of the motoneurons, interneurons, and glia that comprise the midline cells. Primary focus is concerned with how transcriptional regulatory proteins work combinatorially to regulate batteries of genes that generate distinct CNS cell types.