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| Dr. Calof's Research Description |
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| Transgenic Mouse Embryo | Olfactory Epithelium Grown in Tissue Culture | Olfactory Epithelium of Adult Mouse |
Whole-Mount View of a Tattler 4 Transgenic Reporter Mouse at 12 Days of Gestation. |
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Primary
Research Interests Understanding the basic biology of neuron production is of fundamental importance if we are to understand the origins of developmental disabilities of the nervous system. The production of most neurons takes place during embryonic development, rapidly at first, then more slowly, and in most cases permanently ceases around the time of birth. How does the developing nervous system know when and where to produce neurons, and when to stop producing them? Signals that promote and then halt neuron production at the correct times and in the correct locations must exist to ensure that the proper form of the nervous system is attained. However, misregulation of stimulatory signals may result in unchecked growth and neural cancers, and persistence of the developmental signal that says "stop making neurons" may account for the fact that neurons cannot be regenerated when their numbers have been reduced by developmental defects, injury, or aging. My laboratory's research efforts are concentrated on understanding the nature and the targets of the signals that regulate the production of neurons by neuronal progenitor cells, during development and regeneration of the nervous system. To study these issues, we concentrate primarily on one system, in which the behavior of neuronal progenitor cells can be observed and manipulated easily: the olfactory epithelium (OE) of the mouse. We study the molecular regulation of neurogenesis and neuronal regeneration using a variety of approaches, including tissue culture, molecular biology, and the generation and analysis of transgenic mice. Among the questions we are asking, using these approaches, are the following:
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