This project will focus on two pan-animal signaling pathways, Wnt and TGF-beta, which are involved in a variety of developmemtal processes, such as symmetry breaking during embryonic development, axial patterning and regeneration. The techniques to be used include investigation of protein localization, protein-protein interactions and Chip-Seq (chromatin immunoprecipitation and sequencing). Project open to PhD students and Postdocs.

Figure Legend: In situ hybridization reveals expression of selected Wnt and Tgf-Beta ligands in the posterior region of the larvae (top) and the apical region of the adult (bottom) Sycon ciliatum.

From: Leininger, S. et al. Developmental gene expression provides clues to relationships between sponge and eumetazoan body plans. Nat. Commun. 5:3905 doi: 10.1038/ncomms4905 (2014).