Dr Mekayla Storer

One unanswered question in regenerative biology is why mammals fail to regenerate their limbs while some vertebrates have this capacity. Remarkably, however, mice and humans can regenerate the distal portion of their digit tips following amputation. This hints at the possibility that we have inherited the ability to regenerate limbs or entire fingers, yet the relevant genetic code may be switched off or modified by signals in the injury microenvironment. My research aims to identify the cellular and molecular mechanisms that enable the very tips of fingertips to regenerate instead of forming a scar, so that we can use this knowledge to unlock the regenerative potential of other tissues in the body. To achieve this we combine in vitro systems with single-cell multi-omics methods and in vivo genetic lineage tracing studies.

Collaborators

Dr Kevin Chalut (Cambridge Stem Cell Institute; Dept. of Physics)
Professor Bertie Gottgens (Cambridge Stem Cell Institute; Dept. of Haematology)
Dr Sarah Teichmann (Wellcome Sanger Institutue)