# Mechanisms of specification, quiescence, and regeneration of primordial germ cells

> **NIH NIH R35** · BROWN UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $23,892

## Abstract

Project Summary
The camera on our main research microscope has failed and we are functioning only through a
loaner from our microscope representative. We request support through this administrative
supplement mechanism to replace the 5-series camera and upgrade the system from Windows
7, ZenLite imaging software. This microscope and camera are our workhorses in the lab for
imaging microinjections and micromanipulations, live embryo imaging, whole mount immune
localization and RNA-hybridization imaging. We can function only as long as the representatives
from Zeiss allow us to keep the loaner camera. The research supported by this request is
focused on understanding the mechanisms of formation of primordial germ cells during
embryogenesis, how they form during early development, and how they regenerate when the
originals are removed. Our work leverages embryos from a sister group to chordates – the sea
star and sea urchin. While not common organisms for biomedical research, these echinoderms
have many strategic benefits for revealing unique perspectives in the biology of germline
formation and regeneration. Millions of synchronous embryos from a single male/female cross
allow biochemical and metabolic analysis of the germline, the resultant embryos have ideal
transparency for in vivo longitudinal imaging, they develop rapidly, are easy to manipulate
(single cell drop-mRNA-seq, optogenetics, cell and tissue transplantations) and they are well
suited to complementary gene perturbation approaches (CRISPR/Cas9, morpholino antisense
oligonucleotides, MASO), and small molecule perturbations. The existing deep genomic and
reagent resources for these animals, coupled with their tractable experimental characteristics,
yields a unique system for understanding primordial germ cell biology with defined molecular
and morphological endpoints, in live embryos with longitudinal analysis, distinct metrics of
quantitation, and transgenerational evaluations.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11030875
- **Project number:** 3R35GM140897-04S1
- **Recipient organization:** BROWN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** GARY M WESSEL
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $23,892
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2021-06-01 → 2026-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11030875

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11030875, Mechanisms of specification, quiescence, and regeneration of primordial germ cells (3R35GM140897-04S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11030875. Licensed CC0.

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