Qiang Wang Lab

The basic body plan of vertebrate embryos is established during embryo morphogenesis. How a relatively uniform embryo becomes asymmetric at the early developmental stages? This asymmetry consists of two aspects, the initial cell fate decision and the embryonic body patterning that establishes the dorsal-ventral, anterior-posterior, and left-right axes. Understanding the underlying molecular genetic mechanisms of these morphogenetic processes is one of the central goals of developmental biology. The function of genes and signal pathways, such as TGF-β, BMP and Wnt, are being studied in zebrafish embryos and mammalian cell lines using genetic, biochemical and molecular approaches. Research progresses on the great mysteries during embryo morphogenesis will help us to get a better understanding of how a fertilized egg gives rise to a live baby.