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David R. McClay Jr.

Arthur S. Pearse Professor Emeritus of Biology
Biology
Box 90338, Department of Biology, Durham, NC 27708-1000
4102 French Science Center, Science Dr., Durham, NC 27708

Overview


We ask how the embryo works. Prior to morphogenesis the embryo specifies each cell through transcriptional regulation and signaling. Our research builds gene regulatory networks to understand how that early specification works. We then ask how this specification programs cells for their morphogenetic movements at gastrulation, and how the cells deploy patterning information. Current projects examine 1) novel signal transduction mechanisms that establish and maintain embryonic boundaries mold the embryo at gastrulation; 2) specification of primary mesenchyme cells in such a way that they are prepared to execute an epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and then study mechanistically the regulation of that transition; 3) the specification of endoderm necessary for invagination of the archenteron; 4) formation of the oral/aboral ectoderm and the means by which patterning information is distributed three dimensionally around the embryo. That information is necessary for patterning and inducing skeletogenesis. Other projects examine neural tube folding with the goal of identifying genes associated with neural tube defects. Finally, a large current effort in systems biology is being expended with the goal of enlarging our knowledge of early networks and how they interact.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Arthur S. Pearse Professor Emeritus of Biology · 2023 - Present Biology, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Professor Emeritus of Biology · 2023 - Present Biology, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Affiliate of the Duke Regeneration Center · 2021 - Present Duke Regeneration Center, Basic Science Departments

In the News


Published June 30, 2014
Julian Kimura: Evolutionary Paths of the Sea Urchin and the Sand Dollar

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Recent Publications


Single-Cell Transcriptomics Reveals Evolutionary Reconfiguration of Embryonic Cell Fate Specification in the Sea Urchin Heliocidaris erythrogramma.

Journal Article Genome biology and evolution · January 2025 Altered regulatory interactions during development likely underlie a large fraction of phenotypic diversity within and between species, yet identifying specific evolutionary changes remains challenging. Analysis of single-cell developmental transcriptomes ... Full text Open Access Cite

An RNA interference approach for functional studies in the sea urchin and its use in analysis of nodal signaling gradients.

Journal Article Developmental biology · December 2024 Dicer substrate interfering RNAs (DsiRNAs) destroy targeted transcripts using the RNA-Induced Silencing Complex (RISC) through a process called RNA interference (RNAi). This process is ubiquitous among eukaryotes. Here we report the utility of DsiRNA in em ... Full text Cite
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Recent Grants


Modulation of Cell Contact Behavior in a Re-arranging Epithelium during Gastrulation.

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health ·

Collaborative Research: EDGE FGT: In vivo and in vitro Tools for the Community of Echinoderm Researchers

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2024 - 2028

Embryonic Cell Recognition: Specificity Determinants

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development · 1980 - 2028

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Education, Training & Certifications


University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill · 1971 Ph.D.
University of Vermont · 1965 M.S.
Pennsylvania State University · 1963 B.S.