High throughput sequencing, combined with in situ hybridization, allows us to investigate how homologous genes are expressed in animals of quite different morphologies during development.

The availability of high throughput sequencing has enabled us to make a start toward  analysing the molecular bases of the differing morphologies of different species of corals. Our initial work, in collaboration with Dr Nami Okubo, compares the expression of genes controlling gastrulation in three coral species which have quite different morphologies as adults.This same approach can be applied to a number of developmental processes.