Leonard Zon wants to understand the biology of vertebrate blood development, or hematopoiesis, and what happens when it goes awry. Zon and his team dissect hematopoietic development in zebrafish, a model organism whose blood-forming system, and some blood disorders, share similarities with those of humans. Using chemical and genetic screens as well as analysis of novel transgenic zebrafish lines, Zon’s team investigates questions related to stem cell biology, the genetics of bone marrow transplantation, and different aspects of cancers, such as the epigenetics of onset and mechanisms of drug resistance in melanoma.
To test their DNA typewriter, scientists sought to hide well-known phrases inside cells. But this invention’s most powerful application may lie in documenting the biological events that unfold within the boundaries of normal and diseased cells. Stem cells that make blood cells in fish flourish in the shade provided by a newly discovered cellular “umbrella” that keeps them safe from UV damage.  A lipid molecule called EET helps blood-forming stem cells replenish the immune system.