Dr Aly Makhlouf

I’m interested in understanding how stem cells in the mammalian embryo give rise to different cell types during development, with a focus on primordial germ cells (PGCs). PGCs are the precursors of the sperm and the egg, and the process of their specification and maturation requires a complex set of molecular, epigenetic and morphological events to occur. Understanding how PGCs form during early embryogenesis gives us a window into better understanding fertility. In this way, we can learn about the biological basis of infertility, and apply this knowledge to develop better assisted reproductive technologies using stem cells. I use a combination of in vitro stem cell models and in vivo mouse embryo work to study various aspects of how PGC specification is regulated. I look at how cells interact with their environment, which intercellular signalling pathways are activated and how these feed into the gene regulatory network that controls the PGC cell fate decision.