Epithelial cell biology - Coordinating mitosis and morphogenesis during animal development

Epithelial cell biology - Coordinating mitosis and morphogenesis during animal development

WHAT WE DO

The Gibson lab utilizes a range of understudied cnidarian animals to investigate the cellular, molecular, and evolutionary basis for a range of fundamental biological processes, with an emphasis on animal development and regeneration.

Our research plan leverages the starlet sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis, which occupies a crucial phylogenetic position in the animal tree of life.  Using this versatile laboratory model organism, we have developed substantial genomic resources and an incisive new genetic toolkit that allow us to functionally interrogate the regulation of development, regeneration, stem cells and neurobiology in vivo.  In parallel, the Gibson lab is pioneering new methods for research on reef building corals, relatively close relatives of Nematostella (Montipora capitata and Acropora cervicornis).  In the long term, our goal is to initiate mechanistic studies of coral-algal symbiosis and to develop new models for comparative studies on the evolution of fundamental biological processes in early branching animals.

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

LAB MEMBERS

Matt Gibson
Principal Investigator
Anna Klompen
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Emma Rangel-Huerta
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Whitney Leach
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Lacey Ellington
Senior Research Technician
Christof Nolte
Research Specialist II
Ruohan Zhong
Predoctoral Researcher
Stefanie Williams
Predoctoral Researcher
Jenny Duong
Research Technician
Anne Goebel
Research Scholar
Ritvee Talele
Graduate Researcher
Dilan Sakinci
Research Technician
Abby Dreyer
Administrative Coordinator

Alumni

JOIN THE LAB

We’re always interested in finding motivated researchers to join the lab.

If you are interested in a research opportunity, please email Matt.

CONTACT

Matt Gibson
Stowers Institute for Medical Research
1000 East 50th Street, Room 285A,
Kansas City, MO 64110
(816) 926-4073
mg2@stowers.org