Biophysics of signal dispersal

Multiple signaling pathways need to be precisely coordinated in space and time to pattern the body plan. How are the appropriate distributions of signaling molecules achieved, such that cells receive the right amount of signal at the right time?

Components of the extracellular matrix (ECM) can regulate the dispersal of secreted signaling molecules. We examine the protein-protein interactions of secreted signaling molecules to identify such ECM components in the zebrafish embryo. Using nanobodies, we can bind extracellular signaling molecules to cell membranes and experimentally perturb their dispersal. In future experiments we want to use this approach to study how altered signal dispersal affects zebrafish development.