Modeling human genetic diseases in C. elegans. The Barr laboratory is interested two seemingly unrelated questions in biology: the generation of sexual identity and the molecular basis of human genetic diseases of cilia. In particular, we study male mating behavior and ciliary specialization in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. My laboratory currently uses several approaches to study animal physiology and behavior, including dissection of neural circuits, the identification of genes required for nervous system development and function, and in vivo imaging of neuronal protein trafficking. Chemical genetics and electrophysiology are being explored.

SELECT PUBLICATIONS

Silva, M., Morsci, N., Nguyen, K.C.Q., Rizvi, A., Rongo, C., Hall, D.H., and Barr, M.M. (2017) “Cell-specific alpha-tubulin isotype regulates ciliary microtubule ultrastructure, intraflagellar transport, and extracellular vesicle biology.” Current Biology 27: 968-980.

Wang, J. & Barr, M.M. (2016) Ciliary extracellular vesicles: Txt Msg Organelles. Cell Mol Neurobiol. 36(3):449-57.

Wang, J., Kaletski, R., Silva, M., Williams, A., Haas, L.A., Androwski, R.J., Landis, J.N., Patrick, C., Rashid, A., Santiago-Martinez, D., Gravato-Noble, M., Hodgkin, J., Hall, D.H., Murphy, C.T. and Barr, M.M. (2015). “Cell Specific Transcriptional Profiling of Ciliated Extracellular Vesicle Releasing Neurons Reveals Regulators of Behavior and Extracellular Vesicle Biogenesis.” Current Biology 25: 1-7.

Warburton-Pitt, S., Silva, M., Nguyen, K.C., Hall, D.H. and Barr, M.M. (2014) The nphp-2 and arl-13 Genetic Modules Interact to Regulate Ciliogenesis and Ciliary Microtubule Patterning in C. elegans. PLOS Genetics. 10(12): e1004866. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004866

Wang, J., Silva, M., Haas, L.A., Morsci, N.S., Nguyen, K.C., Hall, D.H., and Barr, M.M. (2014) C. elegans ciliated neurons release extracellular vesicles that function in animal communication. Current Biology 24: 519-25.