Welcome to the Drosophila Genetics group in the Division of Cell and Developmental Biology

Our laboratory is using fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) to study molecular mechanisms that govern epithelial morphogenesis. Epithelial tissue architecture is central to the development of embryos and the function of many organs in the adult organism. Our research tries to understand the function of key molecules and genetic networks that establish and maintain epithelia and that mediate their transition into mesenchymal cells. Many of the genes that control epithelial-mesenchymal morphogenesis in the fly are also critical for the development of human embryos. Thus the fly provides a powerful model in which to use molecular genetic approaches to investigate human genetic disease.