Dr. Yonatan Stelzer

One of the most remarkable processes in biology is the development of a single fertilized egg into a complete multicellular embryo within a short time period of rapid growth and cellular diversification. Yet, how variation is achieved while basic units (cells) in this system comprise identical genetic information, represents a deep and fundamental open question our group strives to engage in the coming years. We are excited by recent developments in single-cell transcription and epigenome technologies, since these can capture the emergence of embryonic cellular diversification at the native state, and ultimate resolution. But, we believe there is an urgent need in the field to match descriptive single cell atlases with models and methodologies to derive novel understanding of function and regulation of embryonic tissues. To pursue this, we are establishing new experimental frameworks combining flexible perturbations in mouse embryos, classical chimera models, a novel strategy to index spatial information, and robust single cell readout from single-embryos. We work on mammalian models from mouse to rabbit, devising insights that can be later implemented and tested in human models. In the coming years, we aspire to deepen and broaden these initial studies, and continue learning from the ever elegant and awe-inspiring embryos on how to shape and reshape cellular programs, epigenetic memories, and overall tissue function.