Intercellular signalling and development

The group has had a longstanding interest in understanding the logic and the molecular details of development. In particular, we have studied intercellular signalling and how communication between cells dictates their behaviour. We have focused on Drosophila imaginal discs as a powerful model system. A longterm goal is to exploit this research to draw parallels with pathogenic processes in higher animals, including humans.

An important aim has been to understand how epithelial morphology is controlled to sculpt the final form of organs. Epithelia are basic functional units of many tissues; consequently, epithelial morphology governs many aspects of tissue growth, function and development. Epithelia range from thick and columnar to very thin squamous layers of cells; they can also form flat sheets or folded and complex three dimensional shapes.

The same set of approaches can also be used to study the behaviour of cells and epithelia during tumour development. Specifically, we are investigating in Drosophila how invading tumour cells affect the wild-type epithelia they colonise. This is difficult to study in mammalian systems with less amenable genetic technologies, yet is an important hallmark of cancer morbidity and mortality: substantial damage is caused by the destruction of healthy tissue once the primary tumour spreads.

In order to understand these complex and dynamic processes, we have found it essential to develop techniques to view imaginal disc development in real-time.

Here are a couple of recent movies.

				Please click the image or the link to view the movies.
Rotation of ommatidial clusters in the developing eye		Eversion of the imaginal wing disc