[Past Projects]
Dr. Richard Londraville and Matthew Tuttle
Human leptin is a hormone made in and secreted from white adipocytes (fat cells). The leptin signaling pathway mobilizes lipids for breakdown and suppresses appetite. In mammals, congenital mutations in the DNA sequences of leptin signaling genes cause early-onset and morbid obesity, diabetes, and imbalanced energy homeostasis. Moreover, leptin is conserved throughout all major vertebrate clades – reptiles, birds, fishes, mammals, and amphibians. Using the zebrafish leptin signaling pathway as a model, our group specializes in comparative biology and molecular endocrinology. The incumbent will perform tasks related to zebrafish aquaculture, embryonic microinjection, and gene/protein expression. Using the CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing system, the project goal is to produce lines of genetically modified zebrafish with conditional knockouts in hormone signaling pathways involved in adipocyte metabolism.
Click here for more information on Dr. Londraville’s lab.