Iowa State University
Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology
1210 Molecular Biology Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3260
Phone: 515-294-7322
Fax: 515-294-6755
Email:
Jeffrey J Essner
Assistant Professor
Dr. Essner received his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota where he began using the zebrafish model system to understand the cellular roles of proto-oncogenes. He did postdoctoral training at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla followed by a research faculty appointment at the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah. Prior to joining the faculty of the Genetics, Development and Cell Biology Department at Iowa State University in 2005, Dr. Essner was the Scientific Director at Discovery Genomics, Inc., a biotech company that uses zebrafish for high-throughput analysis of gene function.
Research Description
My research uses zebrafish to model events that are critical to the progression of cancer and to identify genes that are required for these processes. Central to my research program is an effort to understand the genes that are required for tumor angiogenesis. Angiogenesis represents a specialized type of vascularization whereby new vessels are formed by the budding of endothelial cells from existing vessels. This allows the tumor to receive nourishment for further growth and provides a route for cancer cells to metastasize to other parts of the body. During angiogenesis, endothelial cells must first bud from existing vessels by passing through the vessel basement membrane in a manner similar to invasive cancer cells. By modeling this in zebrafish, we have identified several new genes involved in angiogenesis.
Contact Information:
636 Science Hall II
Ames, IA 50011
515-294-7133 voice
515-294-8457 fax
Education:
B. SC. - Biology, University of Iowa, 1987
Ph.D. - Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology and Genetics, University of Minnesota, 1996
Publications
Essner, J.J., Chen, E, and Ekker, S.E.. 2006. Molecules in Focus - Syndecan-2. International Journal of Biochemistry and Cell Biology 38:152-156.
Essner, J.J., Amack, J.D., Nyholm, M.K., Harris, E.H., and Yost, H.J.. 2005. Kupffer's Vesicle is a Ciliated Organ of Asymmetry in the Zebrafish Tail that Initiates Left-Right Development of the Brain, Heart and Gut.. Development 132(6):1247-1260.
Larson, J.D., Wadman, S.A., Chen, E., Kerley, L., Clark, K.J., Eide, M., Lippert, S., Nasevicius, A., Ekker, S.C., Hackett, P.B., and Essner, J.J.,. 2004. Expression of VE-cadherin in zebrafish embryos: A new tool to evaluate vascular development.. Developmental Dynamics 231:204-213.
Hackett, P.B., Clark, K.J., Ekker, S.C., and Essner, J.J. 2004. Applications of Transposable Elements in Fish for Transgenesis and Functional Genomics. In: Molecular Aspects of Fish and Marine Biology –Vol.2: Fish Development and Genetics – The Zebrafish and Medaka Models. .
Essner, J.J., Vogan, K.J., Wagner, M.K., Tabin, C.J., Yost, H.J., and Brueckner, T.. 2002. Conserved Function for Embryonic Nodal Cilia. Nature 418(6893):37-38.
