Summary of the science
In the developing embryo, signals are required for cells to differentiate into the correct cell types which will eventually become different organs. An important signal is delivered by proteins that are part of a group known as the 'Hedgehog protein family'. These are proteins that are passed between different cells and signal for cells to become this type or that. The Ingham Lab aims to understand how Hedgehog signalling works - how they move between different cells and how they find the right targets.
About the research
The Ingham Lab studies the molecular pathways involved in determining cell fate in the zebrafish embryo. The lab is well known for its research on the Hedgehog family of intercellular signalling proteins and how their different members play a role in cell differentiation and morphogenesis in the developing vertebrate embryo.
About the illustration
The Ingham Lab is predominantly interested in Hedgehog proteins which have a range of functions. We tried to visualise some of these functions - in this case segmentation and cell differentiation - by showing the progression of cells changing and becoming different cells over different sections of a zebrafish embryo, to tie in their system of interest.