Sargent Lab

Research Interests

Neural crest and epidermal development

Research Area

The Section on Vertebrate Development laboratory is headed by Dr. Tom Sargent. The focus of our group is on ectodermal development, especially on epidermis and neural crest and the relationship between these two derivatives. Our primary animal model system is the frog Xenopus laevis, but we also work with zebrafish. Microarray analysis of Xenopus ectodermal cells in which the transcription factor AP2alpha has been manipulated resulted in the identification of many regulatory targets for this factor, including genes expressed in epidermis and in the neural crest. The long term goal of the lab is to understand the regulation of such genes and how they function in early embryonic development and in disease.

Current Members

Sargent, Tom D. (Principal Investigator/Director)

Alumni