Megan Fentress

Research

I utilize the colonial tunicate Botryllus schlosseri as a model organism to study stem cell biology. I am particularly interested in the competition between stem cells for niche occupancy during development and am currently working on elucidating the molecular mechanism behind this fascinating interaction. My project utilizes the unique biology of Botryllus to track the migration and settlement of germline stem cells from distinct “winner” and “loser” lines to identify what makes a “winner” win and a “loser” lose for niche occupancy. Through the identify of the molecular mechanisms behind stem cell competition we will gain insight on how stem cells compete in processes from development to creation of a cancerized field.