The WUSTL Model Organism Screening Center will harness the power of small model organisms to provide evidence for the pathogenicity of genetic variants identified in patients of the UDN.
Worms (Caenorhabditis elegans) and zebrafish (Danio rerio) are excellent models as they share many genes in common with humans, but are relatively inexpensive, fast, and easy to study. In addition, worms and some stages of zebrafish are transparent, making it easy to image them and uncover cellular and morphological defects.
The WUSTL MOSC will partner with the Baylor University/University of Oregon UDN MOSC, which will provide additional expertise in zebrafish, as well as fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster).
Worm (C. elegans)
Zebrafish (D. rerio)
Principal investigators
Dustin Baldridge, MD, PhD
Bioinformatics Core Lead, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Genetics & Genomic Medicine
Lilianna Solnica-Krezel, PhD
MOSC Co-PI, Zebrafish Core Lead, Alan A. and Edith L. Wolff Distinguished Professor and Head of Developmental Biology