Advances in Biosciences Seminar Series - Roberto Mayor PhD, University College London; Title: “Chemo-mechanical Interplay in Embryonic Development”
| Dates: | 15 April 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: | Roberto Mayor PhD |
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Join the Division of Molecular and Cellular Function (MCF) for the Advances in Biosciences Seminar Series, the speaker is Roberto Mayor PhD, University College London
Hosted by Dr Ximena Soto
Title: “Chemo-mechanical Interplay in Embryonic Development”
Abstract: Over the past century, most research on embryo development has focused on the role of genes and signaling pathways in this process. However, recent evidence indicates that other factors, such as mechanical cues, also play a crucial role. In this seminar, I will discuss the role of mechanics in embryonic induction.
Although embryonic induction was discovered over a century ago (Spemann and Mangold, 1924), its molecular basis has only been elucidated in the last three decades with the identification of many inducers. However, identifying inductive molecules is only half of the challenge. Crucially, embryonic induction also requires tissues to be responsive to the inductive signals they receive (a property known as embryonic competence), a topic that has been largely overlooked.
So far, research has focused on the molecular regulators of competence, while the role of mechanics as a potential regulator has remained unexplored. We have demonstrated that the neural crest inductive signal (Wnt) is modulated by the mechanotransducer Yes-Associated Protein (YAP), revealing how mechanical and biochemical cues interact to regulate embryonic competence. To highlight the universality of our findings, we showed that this mechanism operates not only in Xenopus embryos but also in human-induced neural crest cells.
Speaker Bio: Roberto Mayor is a distinguished developmental biologist known for pioneering research on cell migration in embryonic development. Born in Chile, he earned his PhD studying mouse embryo development before conducting postdoctoral research in London. Now a Professor at University College London (UCL), his work on neural crest development has broad implications, including in cancer research. Dr. Mayor has received numerous honors, including HHMI International Scholar, EMBO membership and Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences. He is Editor-in-Chief of Cells & Development and Gene Expression Patterns and is dedicated to mentoring future scientists through extensive teaching and supervision.
Speaker
Roberto Mayor PhD
Role: PhD
Organisation: University College London
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Michael Smith Lecture Theatre
Michael Smith Building
Manchester
