Automated Profiling of Gene Function During Embryonic Development (VIDEO)
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UC San Diego School of Biological Sciences researchers developed an automated system for profiling the function of genes required for embryogenesis, the process by which a fertilized egg, which starts as a single cell, develops into an organism with different tissues, such as skin, digestive tract, neurons and muscles. They used time-lapse 4-D imaging to methodically track the function of each gene throughout all embryonic stages, including when cell identity is determined and when the tissues in the organism take shape. The researchers monitored this process using an approach known as “computer vision” to track specific aspects of development after blocking the function of one gene at a time. These measurements included the number of cells in each tissue, the tissue position and the tissue shape. The computer algorithm was able to “see” which genes had similar measured outcomes and group them together. The researchers predict that each group represents a collection of genes that function together to control specific steps in embryonic development.
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Rebecca Green, Oegema Lab, UC San Diego
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Relates to Cell paper on gene function in early embryo development.
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