James Gagnon
Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences
Developmental Biology, Genetics, Genomics, Stem Cells
Molecular Biology Program
Education
B.S. Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Ph.D. Brown University
Research
We develop from a single fertilized egg into adults with trillions of cells. What are the mechanisms that embryos use as they grow into adult organisms? How do we respond to injury, aging, and infection? What parts of our environment have shaped who we are? Our lab tackles these questions by bringing the tools and ideas of traditional developmental biology outside of the embryo to study topics like organ maintenance, pathogen defense, and ecological pressures. Our lab builds and uses a variety of techniques in zebrafish including CRISPR, single-cell sequencing, genetics, microscopy, and mathematics.
We also have a variety of side projects driven by curiosity! Approaching classic mysteries of biology with new ideas and methods is our specialty. If you are curious about the intersection of biology, engineering and math, let’s talk.
References (Selected Publications)
- Sposato AL, Hollins HL, Llewellyn DR, Weber JM, Schrock MN, Farrell JA, Gagnon JA†. Germ cells do not progress through spermatogenesis in the infertile zebrafish testis. Preprint available at bioRxiv: https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.09.05.556432.
- Rice MC, Janik AJ, Elde NC, Gagnon JA†, Balla KM†. Microbe transmission from pet shop to lab-reared zebrafish reveals a pathogenic birnavirus. PLoS Biology 2024 22:e3002606
- Carey CM, Hollins HL, Schmid AV, Gagnon JA†. Distinct features of the regenerating heart uncovered through comparative single-cell profiling. Biology Open 2024 13:bio.060156
- Rice MC, Little JH, Forrister DL, Machado J, Clark NL, Gagnon JA†. Gadusol is a maternally provided sunscreen that protects fish embryos from DNA damage. Current Biology 2023 33:1-9
- Takasugi PR, Wang S, Truong KT, Drage EP, Kanishka SN, Higbee MA, Bamidele N, Ojelabi O, Sontheimer EJ, Gagnon JA†. Orthogonal CRISPR-Cas tools for genome editing, inhibition, and CRISPR recording in zebrafish embryos. Genetics 2022 220:iyab196
- Carey CM, Gagnon JA†. CRISPR Rube Goldberg machines for visualizing cell lineage. Nature Neuroscience 2020 23:1469–1471
- Balla KM, Rice MC, Gagnon JA, Elde NC†. Linking virus discovery to immune responses visualized during zebrafish infections. Current Biology 2020 30:2092-2103
- McKenna A†, Gagnon JA†. Recording development with single cell dynamic lineage tracing. Development 2019 146:dev169730