Assessing Gene Function In The Developing Brain Using Zebrafish As A Model System (2006-2008)
Abstract
Although the vertebrate brain is the most complicated biological tissue in the universe it arises from a simple sheet of cells in the embryo. Groups of nerve cells develop in this sheet and become interconnected by axon processes that form a network. This project will investigate the role of specific genes in controlling this process. This is the first time that the mechanisms underlying the initial formation of this network have been examined in detail in the vertebrate. Our analysis is expected to discover genes that are targets for manipulating axon growth
