Spermatogenesis & Hybrid Sterility
Hybrid sterility is a common way that closely related species are reproductively isolated. We study hybrid sterility with a specific focus on sperm development. We use techniques such as FACS to isolate highly enriched cell populations across different stages of sperm development and investigate how gene expression differs between species and their F1 hybrids. The expression of the sex chromosomes are particularly dynamic during sperm development and we study how divergence in sex chromosome gene regulation contributes to hybrid sterility at different developmental time points. These projects are a collaboration with the Good Lab (University of Montana).
Spermatogenesis in Dwarf Hamsters
In hamsters, we are taking a first look at regulatory dynamics across sperm development in two species and their F1 hybrid. This project is led by Kelsie Hunnicutt (now postdoc in the Velotta Lab) who was funded by a NSF Graduate Research Fellowship.