Research Interests. Our main goal is to understand tissue homeostasis from precursor cells. Many highly specialized cells, such as blood, skin, or sperm cells, are short-lived and need to be constantly reproduced from so-called adult stem cells. When adult stem cells divide, their daughter cells make a cell fate decision to either become new stem cells and replenish the stem cell population, or to initiate differentiation. The cell fate decision between stem cell self-renewal and stem cell daughter differentiation depends on intrinsic cues and on external signals provided by the cellular microenvironment. Our research focuses on understanding the mechanisms that regulate the formation and maintenance of the cellular microenvironment, and how signals from the cellular microenvironment are received and interpreted by the stem cell lineage. We study these research questions in the male gonad of Drosophila melanogaster, using genetic, molecular, biochemical and cell-biological approaches. The outcome of our research shall shed light on the mechanisms that regulate stem cell function, and at the same time contribute to the development of techniques for stem cell therapy. In the future, stem cell therapy may be applied to a wide range of human disorders, including many types of cancer, spinal cord injuries, diabetes, and neurological diseases such as Parkinson's Disease.

Research Interests.

Our main goal is to understand tissue homeostasis from precursor cells. Many highly specialized cells, such as blood, skin, or sperm cells, are short-lived and need to be constantly reproduced from so-called adult stem cells. When adult stem cells divide, their daughter cells make a cell fate decision to either become new stem cells and replenish the stem cell population, or to initiate differentiation. The cell fate decision between stem cell self-renewal and stem cell daughter differentiation depends on intrinsic cues and on external signals provided by the cellular microenvironment.

Our research focuses on understanding the mechanisms that regulate the formation and maintenance of the cellular microenvironment, and how signals from the cellular microenvironment are received and interpreted by the stem cell lineage. We study these research questions in the male gonad of Drosophila melanogaster, using genetic, molecular, biochemical and cell-biological approaches.

The outcome of our research shall shed light on the mechanisms that regulate stem cell function, and at the same time contribute to the development of techniques for stem cell therapy. In the future, stem cell therapy may be applied to a wide range of human disorders, including many types of cancer, spinal cord injuries, diabetes, and neurological diseases such as Parkinson's Disease.