Modern large-scale \functional genomics" projects are inconceivable without the automated processing and computer-aided analysis of images. The project we are engaged in is aimed at the construction of heuristic models of segment determination in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. The current emphasis in our work is the automated transformation of gene expression data in confocally scanned ...

The Japanese medaka, Oryzias latipes, is a vertebrate teleost model with a long history of genetic research. A number of unique features and established resources distinguish medaka from other vertebrate model systems. A large number of laboratory strains from different locations are available. Due to a high tolerance to inbreeding, many highly inbred strains have been established, thus providi...

In animals, before the zygotic genome is expressed, the egg already contains gene products deposited by the mother. These maternal products are crucial during the initial steps of development. In Drosophila melanogaster, a large number of maternal products are found in the oocyte, some of which are indispensable. Many of these products are RNA molecules, such as gene transcripts and ribosomal R...

The identification of regulatory sequences in animal genomes remains a significant challenge. Comparative genomic methods that use patterns of evolutionary conservation to identify non-coding sequences with regulatory function have yielded many new vertebrate enhancers. However, these methods have not contributed significantly to the identification of regulatory sequences in sequenced invertebr...

Comparative developmental physiology spans genomics to physiological ecology and evolution. Although not a new discipline, comparative developmental physiology's position at the convergence of development, physiology and evolution gives it prominent new significance. The contributions of this discipline may be particularly influential as physiologists expand beyond genomics to a true systems sy...

The sea lamprey is an important model organism for investigating the evolutionary origins of vertebrates. As more vertebrate genome sequences are obtained, evolutionary developmental biologists are becoming increasingly able to identify putative gene regulatory elements across the breadth of the vertebrate taxa. The identification of these regions makes it possible to address how changes at the...

Center for Evolutionary Functional Genomics, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-5301 School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-4501 Department of Electrical Engineering, Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe AZ 85287-5706 Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering, Ar...

The elucidation, unravelling and understanding of the molecular basis of transcriptional control during preimplantation development is of utmost importance if we are to intervene and eliminate or reduce abnormalities associated with growth, disease and infertility by applying assisted reproduction. Importantly, these studies should enhance our knowledge of basic reproductive biology and its app...

In vitro embryo production (IVEP) is one of the tool to gain rapid genetic improvement in livestock besides its use in conservation of endangered species. IVEP provides necessary starting material for the basic research in animal development, embryo genomics and stem cells. The success of IVEP depends upon several major factors such as quality of oocyte and sperms, type of culture medium, cultu...

Somatic embryogenic cultures of white spruce (Picea glauca) represent a valuable system to study molecular mechanisms regulating embryo development because many embryos of defined developmental stages can be generated. The inclusion of polyethylene glycol (PEG) in the maturation medium can improve the number and quality of embryos produced. To learn more about the mechanism of action of PEG, we...