Janell Wang L&S Biological Sciences
Dissecting the role of Noggin in mammalian heart development
The developing heart requires contributions from multiple embryonic lineages for proper development and function. One of these is the cardiac neural crest, a multipotent stem cell population derived from the ectoderm that has the fascinating ability to migrate and form diverse cell types in the heart, such as muscles and neurons. Errors in its development cause debilitating congenital heart disorders such as septal defects. However, it remains unclear how cardiac septation is regulated. For this summer, I aim to understand how extracellular signals such as BMP control heart septation using two complementary approaches. Using transgenic mice, I will analyze gene expression patterns of the BMP antagonist gene, Noggin, during cardiovascular development across several embryonic timepoints. In parallel, I will use publicly available single-cell RNA sequencing datasets to map out cardiac neural crest trajectories. By integrating this two-pronged approach, I aim to uncover lineages in the developing heart that express Noggin, better understand the effects of losing Noggin in heart development, and how the cardiac neural crest plays a role in all of it.
Message To Sponsor
To my sponsor, thank you so much for your support in funding my summer research! I am deeply grateful to have this opportunity to pursue my research interests and work on such an amazing project. It is especially impactful for me as I hope to pursue a higher degree in biology and continue along my research journey.