L121 Jared_Mamrot_PhD_thesis_Redacted.pdf (23.42 MB)
Early developmental biology of the spiny mouse (Acomys cahirinus)
thesis
posted on 2019-03-14, 04:37 authored by JARED PETER MAMROTThe spiny mouse is a small rodent that displays remarkable physiological traits: they can regenerate skin without scarring, they have a human-like hormone profile, and they are the only known rodent with a menstrual cycle. During my PhD I explored early development in this species. I assembled a reference transcriptome and mapped gene expression during the 2-cell, 4-cell and 8-cell stages of embryo development. Ultimately, I found that the spiny mouse is a more accurate model of human embryo development in the earliest stages compared to lab mice. This work provides novel insight into the biological mechanisms that govern the creation of new life.