Molecular mechanisms of Slit-Robo signalling - investigation of SLIT3:Robo1 interactions during mammalian development

This project is world-class bioscience. It builds upon research programmes in the Hentges and Keavney laboratories to identify genes required during development of the heart, and thereby reveal the genetic causes of congenital birth defects. Our prior work on cardiac development has applied computational methods for human exome and genome sequence analysis, which are transformative technologies, to identify variants in SLIT3 that are highly likely to affect gene function and cause human disease. By identifying genes required during mammalian development, we are using curiosity-driven fundamental bioscience research to understand the rules of life. Our investigation into links between heart development and SLIT-ROBO signalling, advances our understanding of normal physiology during development, and is tackling the strategic challenge of using biosciences to provide an integrated understanding of health.