Frog spawn in the laboratory: Xenopus embryos at a very early development stage
Analyses of the molecular processes taking place during embryonic development have shown that the principles guiding embryonic development in humans and in animals are very similar on a molecular level. Today it is known that genes involved in the development also play a role in human diseases. The Division of Molecular Embryology is studying mechanisms regulating cell differentiation. The aim is to characterize molecular mechanisms relevant for the formation of the body axis in frogs and mice. To this end, we are identifying developmental control genes and investigating how these are regulated and what their functions are. Our special interest is devoted to investigating the molecular characteristics of a region of the embryo called Spemann organizer, which is responsible for the correct formation of the head-tail axis. Another focus is the systematic analysis of gene activity during early embryonic development.