Advances in Biosciences Seminar Series - Kristina S Stapornwongkul, PhD: European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Barcelona, Spain
| Dates: | 18 February 2025 |
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| Times: | 13:00 - 14:00 |
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| What is it: | Seminar |
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| Organiser: | Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health |
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| Who is it for: | University staff |
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| Speaker: | Kristina S Stapornwongkul, PhD: |
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Introducing the next speaker for the Advances in Biosciences Seminar Series: Kristina S Stapornwongkul, PhD from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Barcelona, Spain.
Hosted by Dr John Robert Davis
Title: "Metabolic control of germ layer proportions through regulation of Nodal and Wnt signalling"
Abstract: Metabolic pathways can influence cell fate decisions, yet their regulative role during embryonic development remains poorly understood. I will present data which demonstrates a crucial role of glycolytic activity in regulating signalling pathways involved in mesoderm and endoderm specification. Using an mESC-based in vitro model for gastrulation, we found that glycolysis inhibition increases ectodermal cell fates at the expense of mesodermal and endodermal lineages. We demonstrate that this relationship is dose-dependent, enabling metabolic control of germ layer proportions through exogenous glucose levels. We further show that glycolysis acts as an upstream regulator of Nodal and Wnt signalling and that its influence on cell fate specification can be decoupled from its effects on growth. Finally, we confirm the generality of our findings using a human gastrulation model. Our work underscores the dependence of signalling pathways on metabolic conditions and provides mechanistic insight into the nutritional regulation of cell fate decision making.
Speaker Bio: I am a developmental biologist with a strong interest in metabolism and synthetic biology approaches. In 2016, I joined the laboratory of Jean-Paul Vincent at the Francis Crick Institute as a Wellcome Trust PhD student. During this time, I engineered a synthetic morphogen system capable of coordinating the growth and patterning of the fly wing. This work enabled us to identify the minimal requirements and constraints for gradient formation in developing tissues. Since 2021, I have been an EIPOD and HFSP Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the laboratories of Vikas Trivedi and Miki Ebisuya at EMBL Barcelona. Using stem-cell-based in vitro model systems, I have studied the role of glucose metabolism in germ layer differentiation. In the future, I aim to further investigate how the nutritional environment and the metabolic state of cells influence developmental processes.
Speaker
Kristina S Stapornwongkul, PhD:
Role: Dr
Organisation: EMBL Barcelona, Spain
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Michael Smith Lecture Theatre
Michael Smith Building
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