Dr. Akin [HHMI Fellow] is studying cell motility in the context of the developing nervous system. He is adapting two-photon microscopy to follow the growth of neurons in live Drosophila fruit flies as the brain, specifically the visual system, takes its adult form.  Live imaging will be used to study the regulatory mechanisms controlling the motility of these neurons. Cancer metastasis is a direct consequence of the misregulation of cell motility; as such, new insights into the basic biology of motility carry the promise of new therapies and approaches to treating cancer.

 

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Project Title: "Live imaging of neuronal targeting in the Drosophila visual system with 2-photon microscopy"

Institution: University of California, Los Angeles

Sponsor(s) / Mentor(s): S. Lawrence Zipursky, PhD

Cancer Type: All cancers

Research Area: Signal Transduction