My project aims to characterise the molecular signatures that define the embryonic epiblast lineage and distinguish it from the extraembryonic lineages (trophectoderm and primitive endoderm) in early human development. In particular, I am studying the role of transcription factors, such as SOX2, in regulating epiblast gene expression, and how that changes throughout pre-implantation development. I am developing methods to map the genome-wide occupancy of transcription factors in individual cells of the embryo which will give insight into the mechanisms of cell lineage segregation in early human development.
