Dr. P.C. Dave P. Dingal uses zebrafish to understand how developmental signaling is coordinated in animal embryos. Zebrafish are ideal models for observing signaling proteins because of their similarity with the human genome and their size. A University of Texas at Dallas bioengineer has developed synthetic enzymes that can control the behavior of the signaling [...]Read More...

University of Texas at Dallas bioengineers have developed synthetic enzymes that can control the behavior of the signaling protein Vg1, which plays a key role in the development of muscle, bone and blood in vertebrate embryos.

The team of researchers is using a new approach, called the Synthetic Processing (SynPro) system, in zebrafish to study how Vg1 is formed. By learning the molecular rules of signal formation in a developing animal, researchers aim to engineer mechanisms — such as giving cells new instructions — that could play a role in treating or preventing disease.