Doug Melton, Ph.D. - Investigator Profile
Research in our laboratory is focused on the developmental biology of the pancreas. We wish to understand how the pancreas normally develops and use that information to grow and develop pancreatic cells (Islets of Langerhans) in culture. These goals challenge us to understand the precursors or stem cells that give rise to the pancreas and to characterize the key gene products that specify cell fates and functions during organogenesis. To this end, we use several vertebrate organisms, including frogs, chickens, and zebrafish, but the majority of our studies are done with mice. We use a wide variety of techniques including functional genomics and gene arrays for gene discovery, tissue explants and grafting for analyzing inductive signals, and developmental genetics for direct assays of gene function. The aim of all our experiments is to understand the genes and cells that direct pancreatic organogenesis. For more information on our research and group members, see the Melton Lab Homepage.
Scientific Interests/Keywords
Microarray, Mouse/Human Stem Cell, Embryonic Development, Islet Cells, Pancreas Development
