Research

Our goal is to understand how cells integrate molecular signals to build, shape and maintain different tissues

The architecture, homeostasis and function of the organs is defined at the cellular level by the integration of a myriad of molecular signals.  In our lab, we study how stem cells, progenitor cells, and somatic cells integrate microenvironmental signals, as well as how the underlying cascades define cellular identity, behaviour and resilience. We focus on unravelling molecular mechanisms in signal transduction, specially in the context of WNT signalling, DNA replication, DNA repair and mitosis, which misregulation often leads to disease, notably cancer. To address these questions, we integrate cutting edge 2D/3D live cell imaging, single-cell genome & transcriptome sequencing (scG&T-seq), and genome editing techniques with detailed molecular analyses in 2D/3D stem cell models of development (including gastruloids) and tissue homeostasis (organoids), mouse models, and primary or immortalised cancer cell lines.

You can learn more about our research institute here.

Figure 1: Biological models used in the lab. We investigate molecular mechanisms driving mammalian development and tissue homeostasis using mouse blastocysts (upper left), 3D stem cell models such as human and mouse gastruloids (upper middle), and mouse EiTiX-embryoids (upper right), mouse mammary gland and intestinal organoids (lower left), as well as in vitro generated human embryonic lineages (cortical neurons, lower middle), together with mouse models for developme(developing brain; lower right), tissue homeostasis or ageing.