Smith, Rosamund C., D.Phil.
Developmental Biology
Eli Lilly and Company
Our laboratory is interested in understanding the regulation
of vertebrate growth and development, with a particular focus
on the control of muscle development and avian sex determination.
The ultimate goal of our research program is to discover ways
to increase the growth and efficiency of agriculturally important
livestock. Our studies in myogenesis have recently focused
on the role of extracellular matrix components and their intracellular
signaling pathways in the regulation of myoblast determination
and differentiation both in vitro and in vivo. We use myoblast
cell culture, and chick, mouse and pig whole embryo culture
to examine the effects of manipulation of embryogenesis on
somitic morphology and gene expression, by histology and whole
mount in situ hybridization, respectively. In addition, we
use the frog Xenopus laevis as a convenient model system to
identify genes with novel roles in myogenesis. Our studies
in the area of sex determination seek to understand the events
involved in early gonadal development in the chick. The effects
of manipulation of steroidal hormone levels in the early chick
embryo on subsequent growth and development have been the
recent focus of this research effort.
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Department of Biology