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lab profile

 

Kenro Kusumi

Arizona State University
PO Box 874501
School of Life Sciences
Tempe, AZ 85287-4501
USA

kenro.kusumi@asu.edu
480-727-8993

PI: YES
Taxa Studied: Vertebrate Animals
Techniques Employed: Quantitative PCR (qPCR), Microarrays, Sanger Sequencing, Solexa (Illumina) Sequencing, Bioinformatics/Sequence Analysis, In Situ Hybridization, Antibody Staining, RNA interference(RNAi), Sectioning for Histology, Epifluoresence Microscopy, Confocal Microscopy, Time-Lapse Microscopy, Other, Database development for the research community
Research Description: Genomic and Evolutionary Approaches to Regeneration and Development in Anolis Lizards The research of the Kusumi Lab is focused on studying the evolution and function of genes that control axial regeneration and development in vertebrates. Our research on regeneration focuses on the remarkable ability of lizards to regenerate musculoskeletal and neural tissues to form a new tail. The laboratory is working to generate biological and bioinformatic resources for future work in green anole, Anolis carolinensis, distributed through LizardExpress.org and AnolisGenome.org. Next generation RNA-Seq technologies are being used to identify key regeneration genes. Identification of regenerative mechanisms used by green anoles and application of these studies to mammalian systems would have a profound impact on the development of future regenerative medical therapies. The laboratory has recently started a collaboration with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama to study the remarkable adaptive radiation of Anolis lizards in Central America. With over 360 species of Anolis lizards, the Caribbean basin is a unique natural laboratory for evolutionary genomic analysis to identify the gene regulatory changes that account for the morphological and developmental diversity in these lizards. We are undertaking next-generation genomic and bioinformatic analysis efforts of Anolis lizards in Panama. The axial musculoskeletal system is formed during development by the process of somitogenesis. In somitogenesis, transient segments of tissue are formed and regulated by genetic pathways that display a repeating, cyclical pattern. We seek to uncover the evolution of this complex regulatory mechanism through comparative analysis of reptiles, mammals, and amphibians.
Lab Web Page: http://www.public.asu.edu/~kkusumi/
Willing to Host Undergraduates: YES
Actively Seeking Undergraduates: YES
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