Dear all,
Our next seminar will be given by Prof. Oliver Hobert from the Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University.
Place and time: Biology auditorium, Monday 13/1/2025 at 13:00.
Title: Homeobox genes and the specification of cell types in the brain
Abstract:
The enormous diversity of cell types in any animal model system is defined by neuron type-specific gene batteries that endow distinct cells with distinct anatomical and functional properties. I will show that the diversity of neuronal cell types in the nematode C. elegans can be reduced to a simpler descriptor, the combinatorial expression of a specific class of transcription factors, encoded by homeobox genes. I propose that the preponderance of homeobox genes in neuronal identity control reflects an evolutionary trajectory in which an ancestral neuron type was specified by an ancestral homeobox genes and that this functional linkage then duplicated and diversified to generate distinct cell types in an evolving nervous system.
Hobert lab website: https://www.hobertlab.org/
Looking forward to seeing you all,
Inbal
Zoom link: https://technion.zoom.us/j/91374645319
For inquiries regarding the course, please contact Prof. Dedi Meiri <dmeiri@technion.ac.il>
