Hedgehog pathway and the development of the retina in xenopus laevis

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Project objective

Research objectives and content Hedgehog pathway plays an essential role in differentiation of neural cells in Drosophila eye. The aim of this study is to provide further understanding in the role of this pathway in vertebrate retinogenesis. I will study where the members of this pathway are expressed in the retina, and will use a functional approach to address their function in the differentiation of retinal cells, using RNAIDNA injections, in vivo lipofections and eyebud cultures. I will also study the relationships between these genes using misexpression experiments. Training content (objective, benefit and expected impact) The study of the Hedgehog pathway in retina should provide new insights into the molecular basis of signaling in eye development. This training will give me the opportunity to work on Xenopus retina, an excellent model for neuro- developmental biologists, and to learn new techniques in embryology. Furthermore, since the University of Cambridge is a world renown institution, I will have the opportunity to meet and work with several world renown laboratories. Links with industry / industrial relevance (22) This project has no direct industrial links although the Hedgehog pathway might be involved in tumorigenesis. This project should thus be helpful for cancer related research to better understand the link between this pathway and tumorigenesis.

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Participants

• University of Cambridge · CambridgeCoordinatorUnited Kingdom

Links

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