The Wickens Laboratory

Exploring the RNA world, discovering new modes of regulation and how they are used throughout biology from yeast to stem cells.
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Our work lies at the interface between developmental biology, molecular genetics and biochemistry. How are mRNAs controlled? How is that control used to regulate development, cell growth and memory? We combine in vivo approaches and test tube assays, and use a range of organisms — yeast, worms, flies, and frog embryos. In parallel, we develop genetic strategies that exploit functional genomics to reveal the circuitry of mRNA regulation. We focus on several interconnected problems.