Studying Germline Maintenance from an Environmental Perspective

A major focus of the laboratory is to understand how environmental exposures alter the function of the germline and therefore reproduction. To address this question, we are using the model system Caenorhabditis elegans. The genetic tools available in the nematode allow the mechanistic dissection of environmentally disrupted germline pathways as well as the comprehensive interrogation of our chemical environment for its effect on reproduction.

We are also interested in understanding the steps separating environmental research performed in laboratories from policy implementation. For example, how information is transferred, transformed and used as it moves outside of the confines of the laboratory.

© The UCLA Institute for Society and Genetics. All Rights Reserved.