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Cell Biology, Developmental Biology, and Genetics

Gabrielle Loots Gabriela Loots
Associate Adjunct Professor, Molecular & Cell Biology
  • Developmental and comparative genomics
  • Transcriptional regulation
  • Transgenic technologies
  • Skeletal and limb development
  • Bone and cartilage tissue engineering
  • Genetics of bone disease — Sclerosteosis and Van Buchem Disease

 

gloots@ucmerced.edu
(925) 423-0923
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Nestor Oviedo Nestor Oviedo
Professor, Molecular & Cell Biology
  • Tissue regeneration
  • Stem cells
  • Cancer
  • Planarian biology
noviedo2@ucmerced.edu
(209) 228-4541
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Axel Visel Axel Visel
Adjunct Professor, Molecular & Cell Biology
avisel@ucmerced.edu
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Chris Amemiya Chris Amemiya
Professor, Molecular & Cell Biology
camemiya@ucmerced.edu
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Stephanie Woo Stephanie Woo
Assistant Professor, Molecular & Cell Biology

The Woo Lab is interested in how dynamic cellular processes such as cell migration and cell adhesion contribute to the formation of the gastrointestinal epithelium, using the zebrafish embryo as our model system. We are also interested in developing new tools to study in vivo cell biology.

Publications:

Woo, S, Housley, MP, Weiner, OD, and Stainier DYR (2012) Nodal signaling regulates endodermal cell motility and actin dynamics via Rac1 and Prex1. J. Cell Biol. 198(5): 941- 952.

Reade, A, Motta-Mena, LB, Gardner, KH, Stainier, DY, Weiner, OD, and Woo, S (2017) TAEL: a zebrafish-optimized optogenetic gene expression system with fine spatial and temporal control. Development. 144(2): 345-355. 

swoo6@ucmerced.edu
(209) 228-4030
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Xuecai Ge Xuecai Ge
Associate Professor, Molecular & Cell Biology

We study mechanisms of cell signaling in the developing brain, focusing on primary cilium, the antenna-like organelle that integrate signaling pathways in the cell. Our research aims to shed light on how signaling errors lead to brain developmental disorders.

Publications:

Ge X*, Yang H, Bednarek MA, Galon-Tilleman H, Chen P, Chen M, Lichtman JS, Wang Y, Dalmas O, Yin Y, Tian H, Jermutus L, Grimsby J, Rondinone, CM, Konkar A, Kaplan, DD. (2018) LEAP2 is an endogenous Antagonist of the Ghrelin Receptor. Cell Metabolism. 27(2): 461-469. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2017.10.01 *Author of correspondence.

Ge X, Milenkovic L, Suyama K, Hartl T, Winan A, Meyer T, Scott MP. (2015) Integration of Neuropilin with Hedgehog signal transduction through control of Phosphodiesterase 4 and protein kinase A. eLife. 4:e07068. DOI: 10.7554/eLife.07068.

Ge X, Frank CL, Calderon de Anda F, Tsai LH. (2010) Hook3 and PCM1 regulate neurogenesis by controlling the centrosome dynamics and interkinetic nuclear migration. Neuron 65:191-203

xge2@ucmerced.edu
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Jennifer O. Manilay Jennifer O. Manilay
Professor, Molecular & Cell Biology

Professor Manilay is a developmental immunologist, with research interest in the mechanisms that control cell fate decisions in the immune system. Her current topic of study is the development of T lymphocytes, important components of immune defense against pathogens.

jmanilay@ucmerced.edu
(209) 228-4175
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Katrina Hoyer Katrina Hoyer
Associate Professor, Molecular & Cell Biology

Immunological tolerance and autoimmune disease

Cellular and molecular interplay between lymphocytes and dendritic cells

khoyer2@ucmerced.edu
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Michael D. Cleary Michael D. Cleary
Professor, Molecular & Cell Biology

Professor Cleary is interested in how complex tissues develop from relatively small populations of stem cells. Nervous system development in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, provides an excellent model system for studying this process. His lab focuses on how Drosophila neural stem cells, called neuroblasts, which produce the diversity of cell types found in the nervous system. His primary aim is to understand:

  • How cell fate decisions are temporally regulated, so that distinct cell types are made at specific times during development
  • How mitotic activity is regulated, so that neuroblasts stop and start dividing at the proper time
  • How cell fate information is passed from a neuroblast to its progeny and the role of chromatin remodeling factors and other transcription factors in this process

His research team uses the many powerful molecular and genetic techniques available for Drosophila research to address these questions, with the ultimate goal of identifying mechanisms that are conserved in human stem cells.

mcleary4@ucmerced.edu
(209) 228-4554
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Miriam Barlow Miriam Barlow
Professor, Molecular & Cell Biology

 

Evolution of bacteria

Predicting the evolution of antibiotic resistance

Testing evolutionary theory

mbarlow@ucmerced.edu
(209) 228-4174
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