Profile
RESEARCH SUMMARY:In complex animals, such as humans, stem cells lose potency during embryonic development as they become restricted to defined linages. Less complex animals, such as Cnidarians, typically host stem cells with a higher level of potency into adulthood, giving rise to astounding capacity to regenerate and withstand genomic insult. Recent studies in the Anthozoan Nematostella vectensis have shone light on the presence of a population of cells, marked by traditional germline markers, with the capacity to give rise to germ cells and neurons. This evidences the lack of adherence to the Weismann Barrier, a feature present in other Cnidarians such as Hydractinia (which possesses adult pluripotent stem cells). The relative body plan complexity of Nematostella, when compared to Cnidarians with proven pluripotent stem cells, makes it an ideal model for investigating cell type specification based on niche. To understand cell type specification and the interaction of stem cells with their surrounding somatic tissue it is necessary to take a broadscale multi-disciplinary approach. As a ‘full-stack’ biologist I aim to harness spatial multi-omics profiling, microscopy and genetic manipulation to untangle the relationships between chromatin state, transcription factors, gene expression, cellular environment and their relative changes to generate a profile of stem cells and their states. Understanding stem cell differentiation in the starlet sea anemone will not only enhance our overall understanding of stem cell evolution but will also position Nematostella as a better model for studying human health and disease.