Virtual EMS

Event Description: By Tamara Davis, Associate Professor of Biology. Most mammalian genes are present in pairs, and the copies inherited from both the biological mother and father contribute to the growth and development of offspring. However, for a small number of genes there is unequal parental contribution of gene product; in some cases, only the maternal copy is expressed, while for other genes the paternal copy is functional. In her laboratory, Professor Davis seeks to understand differences in the structure of maternally vs. paternally inherited chromosomes, and how these differences influence the expression of these imprinted genes.