Medical Student Research Fellowship for Summer 2008

Mentor: James Amatruda, MD, PhD
Department: Pediatrics
Room number: NB8.218
Mail Code: 8593
Phone number: 8-1645
E-mail: james.amatruda@utsouthwestern.edu
Project title: Chemical genetic dissection of primordial germ cell migration

Human subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable):

Animal subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable): APN 2007-0228

Project Type (patient-based research, animal-based research, or basic research; this characterization is only to permit a general classification for grouping similar types of projects)
Animal-based

Brief Description of Project:
Primordial Germ Cell (PGC) migration is critical to normal gonadal development, and defects in this process may underlie germ cell tumorigenesis. The pathways that control PGC migration are incompletely understood. Taking advantage off the small size, rapid development and optical clarity of the zebrafish ,this project will use high-throughput in vivo screening to detect small molecules that influence PGC migration. These compounds will identify key signaling pathways governing PGC migration.