The long term goal of the Robson laboratory is to gain a full molecular understanding of the developmental and evolutionary origins of the mammalian blastocyst. In the mouse, the implanting blastocyst consists of three cell types that develop over the 4.5 days following fertilization. This involves the reprogramming of the highly differentiated oocyte and sperm genomes into the pluripotent cells of the epiblast/inner cell mass (ICM; the source of all cell types of the embryo proper and of the embryonic stem (ES) cell), the trophectoderm (TE; the stem cells of the embryonic components of the placenta), and the primitive endoderm (PrE; the extraembryonic endoderm precursors). We are determining the precise temporal and spatial patterns of all genes expressed in the mouse preimplantation conceptus.
In addition, we are studying the transcriptional regulation of genes specific to each of the three cell types to begin to understand the genetic regulatory network that underlies blastocyst biology. A second aspect of our research is to use comparative genomics strategies to identify the molecular changes that have lead to this uniquely mammalian stage of development. This historical perspective will not only improve our understanding of mammalian early development in itself but also allow us to apply to it, in the proper context, the wealth of information available in studies from non-mammalian species. Our model organism, the mouse, provides us with the ability to study these first cellular differentiation events in a whole embryo culture system. This system is well suited for molecular manipulations via traditional mouse genome modifications or through RNAi, and for live cell imaging.
Knowledge gained from a clear understanding of the molecular development and evolutionary history of the mammalian blastocyst will be directly applicable to potential and real clinical applications in the fields of stem cell therapy and assisted reproduction.
Address: Stem Cell & Developmental Biology Genome Institute of Singapore
