Laboratory of Cone Photoreceptor Development at The City College of New York
The Emerson Lab's research is centered on understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie the development of the vertebrate retina, and in particular, cone photoreceptors. Our goal is to describe the genetic mechanisms involved in the genesis of these cells and to inform the development of therapies for human retinal disease.
Our approach is centered on the use of cis-regulatory elements that are active only in specific cell states during development. These elements allow us to analyze these transient cell states using Next-Generation Sequencing, confocal analysis, live imaging, lineage tracing, and flow cytometry.
