Mark Krasnow wants to understand how the complex three-dimensional structure of the lung is genetically encoded and maintained. Using new and emerging genetic and genomic tools, Krasnow and his team are probing, at single-cell resolution, the molecular programs that control development, renewal, and regeneration of the lung. Their systematic approach has allowed them to identify multiple lung progenitor/stem cells and their niches, in early development and in adult tissue renewal and repair. Ultimately, Krasnow aims to use such cellular and molecular information to discover new ways of detecting, classifying, and treating lung cancer and other deadly lung diseases.
By studying mouse lemur families, HHMI Investigator Mark Krasnow uncovered an important role for magnesium in human heart health and disease. Three HHMI investigators and two HHMI professors have been elected to membership in the National Academy of Medicine. Eight HHMI scientists and one HHMI scientific review board member are among 210 fellows and 19 foreign honorary members elected. Researchers unveil the complete genetic sequence of one of the workhorses of modern biology.