Vladimir Korzh - Associate Editor

After a obtaining a PhD degree in developmental biology from the Koltsov Institute of Developmental Biology, Moscow, in 1981, Dr Korzh continued to work in the same Institute as a research scientist. During this period he was involved in analysis of various aspects of loach (Misgurnus fossilis) development, ranging from the formation of extra-embryonic structures to mechanisms of activation of transcription by zygotic genome and to transgenic studies. In 1990 he moved into more molecular research, initially during postdoctoral work at the Institute of Medical Biology in Tromso, Norway, and later on at the Department of Microbiology, University of Umea, Sweden. His research projects at this time included the analysis of expression and activity of several groups of developmental genes (including members of the Pax, Wnt, Lim and Hedgehog gene families) during zebrafish neural development. To continue the characterization of genes involved in neural development, he moved to the Institute of Molecular Agrobiology, Singapore, in 1995, followed by a transfer to the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB) in 2002. During this period his major research interests involved analysis of a role of genes of the bHLH family and some other genes during neurogenesis in zebrafish, and development of novel methodology and tools of research in this area, in particular, the adaptation of electroporation of DNA for studies of organogenesis in zebrafish and usage of transposons for generation of a large number of enhancer-trap (ET) transgenics that express fluorescent proteins. The current interests of his research group in the IMCB include: first, characterization of the regulatory genome in zebrafish, with an emphasis on developmental genes in the dorsal neural tube, and, second, the application of a combination of in vivo imaging and functional analysis of gene activity in ET transgenics, with an aim of understanding the molecular mechanism behind establishment of circulation of cerebrospinal fluid.