The organization of eukaryotic chromosomes, with emphasis on the giant lampbrush chromosomes of amphibian oocytes. Ribonucleoproteins of the chromosomes, nucleoli, and other intranuclear structures are studied in order to understand the role of the oocyte nucleus in forming the egg. Marnie E. Halpern - Zebrafish neural development. Examination of neural induction and the specification of brain and spinal cord through genetic analysis and techniques of molecular biology. Studies focus on early embryonic mutations that disrupt cell movements or cell interactions necessary for the correct patterning of the central nervous system.
Recent work addresses the role of molecular differences on the left and right sides of the brain.
Douglas Koshland - Mitotic chromosome transmission in yeast. Identification and functional analysis of chromosomes. The molecular basis for each of these features and their functional contribution to chromosome segregation, genomic stability, and gene expression are studied using the budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae , as a model system. Allan C. Spradling - Molecular genetics of Drosophila oogenesis. Studies focus on how female germ cells prepare to support the development of a new multicellular organism.