Stem Cell Fate Choices

In early development a group of cells acquire the property of pluripotency, the ability to make all cell types of an organism. Since all cell fates are possible outcomes for these cells they are the quintessential system for understanding how cell fate choices are made. What are the design principles that enable these tiny wet computers to navigate such a bewildering set of decisions? The Wilson lab is bringing to bear its expertise in live-cell microscopy, computational modeling, complex genetic engineering and optogenetics to divine the algorithms these cells use to negotiate this massive space of outcomes.

Highlighted Publications

Tracing Information Flow from Erk to Target Gene Induction Reveals Mechanisms of Dynamic and Combinatorial Control. Maxwell Z. Wilson, Pavithran T. Ravindran, Wendell A. Lim, Jared E. Toettcher. Molecular Cell. (Download PDF)

Affiliated Researchers

Max Wilson

Assistant Professor

Combines tools from Biology, Engineering, and Physics to understand the cell’s perceptual field.

Naomi Baxter

Graduate Student

Naomi studies how Erk and Wnt signaling dynamics instruct stem cell fate decisions during early embryonic development.

Joseph Rufo

Postdoctoral Researcher

Joey's research focuses on the development of high-throughput engineering platforms which offer precise and tunable control over individual developmental parameters (i.e., cell number, cell type, local mechanics, etc.) in 2D and 3D stem-cell based models of embryonic development. By establishing the relationships between individual developmental parameters and their associated developmental phenotypes, he hopes to develop a more comprehensive understanding of enigmatic developmental processes, such as primate gastrulation. Specifically, Joey hopes to help answer the question of why so many primate embryos fail during gastrulation. The insights from his research can lead to improved treatments for infertility and enhanced screening criteria for quality embryos for in vitro fertilization.