Speaker: Geetu Tuteja, Iowa State University genetics, development and cell biology associate professor

Title: "Using -Omics Based Approaches to Identify Key Regulators of Placental Development"

Abstract: Placenta formation is a complex, step-wise process, where spatio-temporal control of gene expression must be tightly regulated to ensure proper embryonic and fetal growth. Abnormal gene expression during placental development can contribute to pregnancy disorders that have severe consequences on the mother and fetus both during pregnancy and later in life. However, little is known about the coordinated networks of genes that regulate placental development, or how those genes are turned on and off. In this talk, I will describe the efforts in my lab towards understanding the molecular mechanisms that control the process of normal placental development. We combine genomics, computational biology, and molecular biology to identify genomic regulatory regions, the transcription factors that bind them, and the genes they activate or repress during early placental development. Identifying the genes and genomic regions that regulate early placental development is a first step towards defining distinct placental pathologies. Therefore, our work has the potential to contribute towards biomarker development and therapeutic interventions to help predict and prevent placental disorders. 

Host: Yanhai Yin, genetics, development and cell biology professor and chair