Sharad Ramanathan: 2011 Allen Institute for Brain Science Symposium

Sharad Ramanathan, Harvard University "Discovering circuits that control fate choices in embryonic stem cells"

In the search for understanding cell types in the brain, Dr. Ramanathan argued that using stem cell differentiation in culture is a way to have better access to deconstructing the circuits (or networks) that determine cell fate, and that it is necessary to go back and forth between in vivo and in vitro systems in order to do this most effectively. His research group aims to learn enough about cell fate choices in order to be able to drive cells to a specific fate. That is, Dr. Ramanathan believes that the enormous number of measurements taken by methods such as microarray can cloud what may be a much more simple answer to the question of cell fate. For example, his group found a germ layer decision controlled by only three proteins, and the dynamics of expression of just those three proteins allowed them to "read the mind of the cell well before they choose fate," Dr. Ramanathan said. Looking forward, Dr. Ramanathan believes that discovering circuits controlling neural differentiation could be an easier place to start classifying cell types than trying to find markers distinguishing neurons in an adult brain. "While everyone else is looking at everything, I think it might be worthwhile to look carefully," he said.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Sharad Ramanathan
• Allen Institute
• neurocircuit
• neural circuit
• ESC
• stem cell
• fate control
• gene
• gene expression
• cell types
• orthogonal
• expression patterns
• progenitor cells
• cell fate
• transcription factor
• circuit
• neural differentiation