Identification of the molecular pathways that guide tissue regeneration.

The study of regenerative biology aims to elucidate the innate ability of organisms to replace tissues or organs after they have been removed or damaged. During vertebrate regeneration, tissue damage causes the immediate release of signals that initiate wound closure and inflammation. Following this, regenerative cells proliferate and migrate to the damaged area. These cells then grow to replace the missing organ or tissue. This process is very efficient in aquatic vertebrates such as salamanders, frogs and fish, and is not very successful in terrestrial vertebrates such as ourselves.

This project uses zebrafish as a model to identify the signals that recruit regenerative cells to the site of injury. Genetic and pharmacological inhibition of signalling pathways will be used to identify key regenerative signalling pathways. Time-lapse analysis at the single cell level will be used to analyse the roles of different pathways in attracting and guiding cell migration. The successful candidate will join a supportive and hardworking team of scientists based in the School of Biosciences and the Bateson Centre. The student will use cutting-edge techniques such as CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, light sheet microscopy and scRNA-seq. The long-term goal of this project is to improve regenerative medicine approaches for patients.