Professor David Bourgaize's research mostly involves using the green alga, Volvox, as a model system for cellular and developmental processes. Volvox has only two cell types—the structural cells of the body, and the reproductive cells. Since there are only these two cell types, and each has the same genetic information, it is an ideal system in which to study how genetic information is used by individual cells. He is currently investigating the role of reversible phosphorylation in the development of Volvox, using a combination of recombinant DNA techniques in order to isolate genes of interest and cell biology techniques in order to study changes in phosphorylation during the development cycle. In addition, he has a particular interest in how light regulates protein synthesis in embryogenesis. It has been determined that a cGMP signaling pathway is most likely involved, and he is now trying to learn how this signal works within cells to control protein synthesis.
