VAN OTTERLOO LAB
**site currently under construction
The Van Otterloo Lab explores the genetic and molecular mechanisms that shape the vertebrate face, with a focus on craniofacial development.
Over the past decade, the lab has investigated how transcription factors and gene regulatory networks guide the formation of facial structures, particularly through the
interactions between neural crest cells and craniofacial ectoderm.
By uncovering how these processes contribute to normal development and congenital anomalies, the lab aims to advance our understanding of facial morphogenesis and inform future therapeutic strategies.
IMAGES FROM THE LAB
Overall Van Otterloo Lab Objective Can you imagine trying to prevent, diagnose, and/or fix the breakdown of a complicated machine (e.g., car engine) without fully understanding how each part was assembled, placed, & functions? Likewise, our DNA encodes the information (e.g., through genes and their products) needed to assemble and properly place (e.g., non-coding regulatory elements) the building blocks needed for the intricate process of fetal development. Our overall goal is to use animal models (which share an incredible similarity in their DNA code to humans) in deciphering how genes—and their encoded proteins—regulate human embryogenesis (focusing on cranio- and orofacial structures) & how these mechanisms are dysregulated in human developmental disorders. This information will allow the 'mechanic' to better predict, diagnose, and ultimately prevent or fix these disorders.
USEFUL LINKS
