Glow Worms

Our Research

How do embryos self-assemble from a single cell? How do cells figure out where they are in an embryo and coordinate with other cells to build tissues and organs in an organized fashion? What happens when this organization goes wrong? Cell polarity, or asymmetric localization of proteins within a cell, allows cells to organize themselves and carry out coordinated behaviors with other cells, allowing complex processes like embryonic development to occur. 

In the Glow Worms lab, we study how cell polarity enables cells to organize embryos during development. Studying embryonic development is complicated, which is why we use the tiny nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as our model organism.  C. elegans are simpler animals than humans or lab mice, but they have similar genes and body systems to other animals, grow quickly, and produce embryos almost constantly. These traits have led to key discoveries and even Nobel Prizes awarded for C. elegans research. While C. elegans have been studied for years, there are a lot of genes and proteins that have not been characterized – what these proteins are doing in cells remains a mystery. 

Our Strategy

In collaboration with the Dickinson Lab, we have identified new proteins that may be involved in cell polarity that have not yet been studied. Each student in the stream will work independently to determine the role of one of these proteins in embryonic development. We use a fluorescence microscopy imaging-based approach to study these proteins which allows us to see the localization of each protein in live embryos. Based on where the proteins localize, we can begin hypothesizing about each protein’s function.

How can we actually see proteins in the worms? Our key technological advancement is using CRISPR/Cas9 gene technology to add brightly-colored fluorescent proteins onto our proteins of interest. CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing is specific and programmable - we can target this editing program to add a fluorescent tag to any gene, and therefore protein, in the worm genome.

We empower students in our lab to function as independent researchers solving a real-world problem using the modern tools you’d find in any biology lab. 

• Create custom DNA sequences for CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, using molecular biology techniques to synthesize, copy and purify DNA including:

• Perform CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing and use genetic screening methods to select for edited animals
• Characterize protein localization using fluorescence confocal microscopy

Our Impact

• Empower students to plan, execute, and present a novel research project
• Share our reagents and worms with the C. elegans community via AddGene and the Caenorhabditis Genetics Center (CGC)
• Present our findings at conferences and through peer-reviewed publications