| Project Detail |
Early animal phyla shed light on how cell types have evolved Within the last decades, the emerging area of gene regulatory networks (GRNs) has garnered a tremendous amount of interest. GRNs play roles in development, differentiation, and response to environmental cues by modulating which genes are expressed and when. The origin and evolution of animal cell types is linked to the corresponding evolution of the underlying GRNs, yet little is known about either. The ambitious EU-funded EvoCellMap project is investigating the evolutionary origins of genome regulation and the evolution of major cell types and their GRNs. Combining single-cell and cross-species studies in multicellular organisms lacking bilateral symmetry (Metazoa), the project plans to fill important knowledge gaps regarding how cell types and their GRNs evolve. |
