Reproductive biology

When genetic information is passed along to offspring, different versions of the same gene typically have equal chances of being transmitted. But some “selfish” genes break this rule to stack the odds in their favor. Whitehead Institute Member Yukiko Yamashita and colleagues have discovered one such gene—except it also uses a novel mechanism to limit its own “selfishness”.

Christoph Gäbelein is a postdoc in Whitehead Institute Director Ruth Lehmann’s lab studying how oocytes, which are immature egg cells, avoid the effects of aging during their long dormancies. We sat down with Christoph to learn more about him and his experiences in and out of the lab.

Researchers at Whitehead Institute study the many aspects of germ cells that set them apart from other cell types. They ask questions about how germ cells migrate across the embryo to meet developing gonads, and how germ cells ultimately give rise to eggs and sperm. 

A new paper from the lab of Whitehead Institute Director Ruth Lehmann reveals how primordial germ cells in flies migrate from one end of an embryo to the other during development. The work could have implications for how scientists study germ cells in vivo, as well as other motile cells such as cancer cells.