The main focus of the work done by students in my lab is in the isolation and characterization of genes encoding the proteins that are unique to or are uniquely expressed in spermatogenic cells. Previous work in my lab has centered on identifying cytoskeletal proteins associated with the formation and function of the sperm flagellum in a mammalian model system, the mouse. Recently, I have shifted the lab’s attention to the process of spermatogenesis in zebrafish. The zebrafish is a popular developmental model system for vertebrates, yet very little is know about it’s basic biology. Our lab is currently characterizing the process of spermatogenesis in zebrafish by using histochemical, immuno-histochemical, and genetic markers to identify the organization of the testis, the timing if the spermatogenic cycle, and the morphology of the various cell types involved in the spermatogenic process. I am also initiating a collaborative effort with CRES at the San Diego Zoo where we would look at a model in which spermatogenesis is seasonal. In this mammalian model (deer), we hope to be able to identify genes that are unique to the latter stages of spermatogenesis by comparing gene expression in testes that are producing spermatozoa with testes where spermatogenesis is arrested during the non-breeding season.