Speakers

Here I will expose how FACS can help us untangle a fundamental question in neurodevelopment: the interaction between genetic and environmental factors in acquisition of neuronal identity. To address this question, I labelled developing neurons in utero in mouse embryos and used FACS to isolate cells based on their time of birth. These cells were then transplanted into a new host, but in a different environment. We assessed the identity of the transplanted neurons before and after transplantation by examining their molecular, transcriptomic, electrophysiological, and morphological profile. I will present these results and show how this approach allows us to disentangle the relative contributions of intrinsic genetic programs and extrinsic environmental cues in shaping neuronal identity during development.