Developmental biology is among the most
exciting, fast-moving and insightful fields in
science.Many biochemical and cellular events
that occur during development are recapitulated
in the adult in situation as diverse as
fracture healing, cancer and arthritis. The
existence of strong programs in the developmental
biology of the skeleton and connective
tissue within the Orthopaedic Research Center
recognizes the significance of this fact. Furthermore,
since development is an extremely
rapid and dynamic process, it facilitates the
elucidation of the specific functions of molecules
in the skeleton.
Independent programs in the Center address different facets of development biology, with a focus on regulation of cell commitment, proliferation and differentiation in the skeleton, as well as on gene regulation and the synthesis and turnover of the extracellular matix proteins. The technology used is at the cutting edge of science and includes genetic engineering of transgenic models, in vitro analysis of cell proliferation and differentiation and analysis of genes and their products in developing tissues.
