The development of the ovary in the post-embryonic fish often requires investigation by demanding genetics. As a sage way for rapid investigation, we established a new long-term ovarian culture as an excellent ex-vivo model (in-preparation). This system unequivocally enables the rapid functional screening of candidates from our various omics datasets, to identify novel regulators, landing on new biology.
This strategy already yields multiple exciting hits with essential unpredicted functions, which we are able to substantiate and investigate genetically. Following our success with the ovary, we are currently successfully establishing a similar ex-vivo testis culture, to enable rapid investigation of spermatogenesis and testes morphogenesis, further expanding our explorations to germ cell and gonad development in both sexes.
