Mentor: Michael L Robinson, Ph.D.

This project explores the role of FOXE3 in eye development, focusing on its potential influence on cell fate decisions. Key questions include: What is the role of FOXE3 in determining cell fate during eye development? Does FOXE3 suppress neural differentiation pathways? Lastly, can over expressing FOXE3 in the developing chick retina lead to retinal abnormalities? Lens epithelial cells, which naturally express FOXE3, do not undergo neural differentiation, in contrast to retinal cells that depend on neural gene expression for proper development. This observation suggests that FOXE3 may play a role in repressing neural pathways. Therefore, we hypothesize that early over expression of FOXE3 in the retina will interfere with neural differentiation and lead to disruptions in normal retinal development.

Explore the Project