Alex Kolodkin and David Ginty will embark on an approach to understanding the role of genes in brain development that has the potential to be transformational. The study of genetic mutations has driven many major discoveries in neuroscience, but the capacity to assess the effect of mutations in an unbiased way—across the entire genome—has largely been restricted to studies in worms and other invertebrates. Studies in mice have largely used chemicals to induce random mutations in the genetic code. Drs. Ginty and Kolodkin will use innovative techniques to insert tagged gene modifiers, so that large numbers of “tagged” mutations will be present in each mouse pup, greatly facilitating the assessment of the consequences of these mutations in nervous system development and function. This high-risk technique has the potential to identify many new genes that control specific aspects of brain development, function, and disease. The mouse lines developed in this Center will be available to all Johns Hopkins neuroscientists.
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