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The Jain Lab

Applying single-cell genomics and molecular biology to reveal how gene expression programs control the assembly of neuronal circuits

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How do developing neurons know which genes to express at what time? 

Animal brains consist of a vast number of neurons (~100 billion in humans, ~100 million in mice), and thousands of neuron-types. These neurons generated at different times and locations in the developing brain come together in precise ways to form specific connections (~100 trillion connections in the human brain). Even subtle defects in wiring are associated with conditions such as autism, schizophrenia and epilepsy. How does biology ensure the assembly of such a complex structure? 

A key piece of this puzzle is ensuring that the right set of genes are expressed at the right time and in the right place.. Indeed, gene expression patterns have been shown to be highly dynamic and cell-type specific during circuit formation across species. The Jain Lab aims to understand how the timing and specificity of gene expression are controlled in developing neurons to ensure proper circuit formation.

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