Introduction
The development of a healthy individual that can both survive a full lifespan with minimal disease and reproduce effectively begins before birth. Understanding the underlying mechanisms which control the complex chain of developmental processes from the point of conception onwards is a major challenge facing modern biology. There are many common mechanisms across all vertebrates, so insights gained from one species are often applicable to others. EDGaR is a special interest group which promotes research in this general area by bringing together staff with overlapping expertise in Endocrinology, Development, Genomics and Reproduction.
Development
Key Staff:
Dr I McGonnell (main contact) – craniofacial development
Dr S Allen – cardiovascular and musculoskeletal development
Prof P Chantler – myosin and cytoskeletal dynamics
Dr B Cobb – miRNAs and immune development
Professor T Dhoot – muscle development and sulfatases
Dr V Lipscomb – congenital abnormalities
Dr R Macharia – muscle development, neuromuscular junctions
Dr D Palmer – immunology and ageing
Dr C Russell – brain development and neurodegeneration
Professor NS Stickland – fetal programming and muscle development
The aim of the group is to understand the normal genetic, molecular and cellular processes of development and to use this information to understand how:
- Congential birth defects occur;
- Environmental factors impact the developing embryo and fetus;
- Genetic and/or environmental impacts during development can affect life-long health.
This group has many collborative links to clinical research, both in the human and veterinary fields.
Reproduction and Genomics
Key staff:
Professor DC Wathes (main contact) – ruminant fertility, diet/reproduction interactions
Dr DRE Abayasekara – regulation of ovarian and adrenal steroidogenesis, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)
Dr Z Cheng – PUFAs and prostaglandins, bioinformatics
Dr M de Mestre – reproductive immunology, equine reproduction
Dr A Fouladi – oocyte maturation, embryo development and implantation
Dr M Khalid – fertility of small ruminants, cervix
Dr GE Pollott – genetics and bioinformatics
Dr L Thurston – semen cryopreservation, cortisol metabolism
The aim of the group is to understand the physiological mechanisms regulating reproductive performance and to use this information to:
- Maximise reproductive performance without compromising animal welfare;
- Reduce the incidence of infertility;
- Control fertility in domesticated livestock and humans.
Reproductive performance is strongly influenced by both genetic and environmental factors such as nutrition and disease and we are particularly interested in determining how these different aspects interact. We have excellent facilities covering the span from applied molecular biology, through cell biology to studies of whole animal physiology and herd epidemiology.
Endocrinology
Key staff:
Dr R Fowkes (main contact) – molecular endocrinology and natriuretic peptide signalling
Dr A Mukherjee – TGFb signalling
There are several endocrine-related projects that are currently running in the EDGaR Group.
- The Fowkes Lab focuses on endocrine signalling, in particular the neuroendocrine regulation of gene transcription and the role of pituitary natriuretic peptides in development and fertility.
- The Mukherjee Lab uses a novel mouse model, the Fstl3-/- mouse, to characterise the role of TGFb signalling pathways throughout the endocrine system.
We also have several ongoing collaborations with EDGaR group members in the Reproduction and Development subgroups. Furthermore, we have links to the NOIR special interest group, maintaining an interest in metabolic disease, which also facilitates our collaborations with clinical colleagues who deal with endocrine & metabolic disease in small animals.