Home Department: Biology
Mentor: Thomas Clandinin (Neurobiology)

“Utilizing SPARC for Lateralized Gene Expression in Drosophila”

Janina’s project aims to develop a new genetic tool to control gene expression unilaterally and cell-type specifically in the brain, addressing challenges posed by the bilaterally symmetric anatomy of brains. To fill this gap, she leveraged a recently developed tool for generating somatic mosaic animals, and is working to implement it early in embryogenesis. The rate of transcription, recombination and cell division are mechanisms she will explore and manipulate. Optimizing this approach allows for examination of the behavioral effects of selectively manipulating the functions of specific cell types unilaterally, creating a widely useful tool for future studies.