Conservation and Evolution of the Primitive Endoderm and Yolk Sac

BBSRC strategic theme: Understanding the rules of life

As an embryo begins to develop, early cell fate decisions produce extra-embryonic cells critical for the survival and development of the embryo proper. One of these lineages is the hypoblast, which controls the formation of the yolk sac, axial differentiation, and gastrulation. Despite the conservation of this cell type across amniotes and fish, little is known about how this cell type is initiated and maintained, and how this may have been conserved or have evolved between extant lineages.

Therefore, this research project will investigate the conservation and function of transcription factors controlling this important cell lineage. I will utilise a range of stem cell models and embryos from across the animal kingdom, including humans, non-human primates, rodents, ungulates, amphibians, and fish. I will integrate genetic perturbation, advanced imaging, and multi-omics methods to investigate the conservation of molecular programmes in the hypoblast. Overall, this project will broaden our understanding of conserved molecular pathways that govern some of the very first cell fate decisions that shape embryogenesis.