Investigating the role of mechanical forces in cell exit from the Zebrafish tailbud (360G-Wellcome-203773_Z_16_A)

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During the elongation of the embryonic body, groups of stem cells within the tip of the embryo continually generate progenitor cells that later make up the spinal cord and segmented vertebrae. Interestingly, differentiation of other embryonic cell types has been shown to be influenced by mechanical forces from the environment surrounding the cells in culture. Over the course of my PhD I will investigate the influence of the native mechanical environment on the differentiation of progenitor cells in the zebrafish embryo into cell types contributing to the formation of specialised tissues. This will aid in our understanding of how mechanical properties of tissues, such as their stiffness, can influence cell differentiation. Firstly, I will characterise cell movement, cell shape, and environmental stiffness coinciding with cell state transitions in the tailbud. Secondly, I will investigate the influence of mechanical forces on differentiation and epithelial to mesenchymal transitions. Finally, I will investigate the role of YAP in regulating differentiation into spinal cord and mesodermal cell types. These studies will provide important insight into the fundamental problem of how cell fate decisions and cell movements are coupled during embryonic development.

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Grant Details

Amount Awarded 0
Applicant Surname McLaren
Approval Committee Internal Decision Panel
Award Date 2018-09-30T00:00:00+00:00
Financial Year 2017/18
Grant Programme: Title PhD Studentship (Basic)
Internal ID 203773/Z/16/A
Lead Applicant Ms Susannah McLaren
Partnership Value 0
Planned Dates: End Date 2020-09-30T00:00:00+00:00
Planned Dates: Start Date 2017-10-01T00:00:00+00:00
Recipient Org: Country United Kingdom
Region East of England