Pathways

Submitted by:	Liliana Vertel
Department:	Medical Genetics
Faculty:	Medicine & Dentistry

Pausing to think in the corridor of the university building where I conduct my research. Each day, as I make my way to the lab, I pass by countless doors lining the corridor. For me, these doors represent the countless possibilities of my experiments.

The journey of stem cells toward acquiring a differentiated fate can be likened to navigating through numerous doors of biological signaling pathways. Stem cells receive signals from their environment that instruct them to become specialized cell types. These signals can be repressive (closed doors) inhibiting certain pathways or inductive (open doors), promoting differentiation down a specific lineage. Like me traveling in the corridor, the stem cell must interpret and respond to signals. Each step forward involves making decisions, analyzing results, and choosing which doors to open next.

In my stem cell research, my focus lies in deciphering the intricate clues guiding the transformation of stem cells into cartilage. My objective is to select the right pathways to generate cartilage tissue for the study and treatment of joint diseases.

Was your image created using Generative AI?
No.

How was your image created?
I took a color- picture with my phone. I used the Greg Gorman technique in Photoshop to make it black and white. To insert the silhouette of the scientist I did a photomontage.