Ken W. Y. Cho, Ph.D.

Research

My laboratory is interested in the roles of BMP and activin/nodal members of the TGF-b superfamily signaling during vertebrate embryogenesis and stem cell differentiation. Specifically we are interested in the following topics. 1) Gene Regulatory Networks: Our goal is to build transcriptional GRNs regulating vertebrate endoderm/mesoderm formation so that someday we learn to respecify developmental fates using reverse engineering approaches. 2) ES cell differentiation: We examine the roles of growth factors on ES cell differentiation. In order to optimize ES cell differentiation procedures, microfluiditic platforms are used to create specialized microenvironments (e.g., gradient) for stem cells. 3) Cell morphogenesis and adhesion: While TGF-b growth factor signaling affects morphogenesis and adhesion properties of cells, the mechanism by which this occurs is unclear. We study the molecular mechanism underlying the process.