The Munger Lab
Steven Munger, Ph.D., uses a systems genetics approach and advanced computational methods to study development and complex disease in advanced mouse populations.
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The genetic origins of most developmental disorders and diseases are complex and remain poorly understood. Rather than a single deleterious mutation, genetic susceptibility to common diseases is conferred by many variants that individually assert subtle effects but in certain combinations perturb cellular networks sufficiently to bias them to a disordered/diseased state. Classic single-gene experimental approaches fail to elucidate these interactions, but new integrative genomic and genetic approaches from the emerging field of “Systems Genetics” hold considerable promise.
The Munger lab combines experimental and computational methods with advanced mouse mapping populations to solve these complex genetic puzzles.
We examine the natural genetic variation driving individual differences in 1) susceptibility to sex reversal during primary sex determination of the gonad, 2) disease severity in a mouse model of Cornelia de Lange Syndrome, and 3) transcript and protein expression in the adult liver. We apply our genetic and genomics toolkit to predict causal variants and genetic interactions underlying phenotypic variability, validate these predictions at the bench with functional genomics methods, and ultimately seek to extend these results to inform patient diagnosis and treatment.
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Blog PostJune 22, 2022The progress of genetic sequencing
We take a look at the history of genomic sequencing, where it's going in the future, and the power it has to potentially treat diseases like cancer. -
Featured ArticleMay 05, 2022Ryan Tewhey: Genome explorer
JAX's Ryan Tewhey brings open-minded inquiry to the search for genetic mechanisms involved in complex traits and disease mechanisms. -
Research HighlightMay 05, 2022Investigating the non-coding genome
Ryan Tewhey, Ph.D., is leading efforts to apply high-throughput analyses to understand both how non-coding genome regulation works and its many roles in disease. -
Press ReleaseMay 03, 2022JAX announces 2022 recipients of the JAX Scholar awards
The Jackson Laboratory is proud to announce the 2022 recipients of the JAX Postdoctoral Scholar award. Eric Bogenschutz, Jayna Mistry, and Kwondo Kim represent forward-thinking research, proven leadership, and engagement with the scientific community.
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Research HighlightJune 15, 2022Unlocking clinical phenotype data
JAX Professor Peter Robinson has spearheaded an effort to make phenotypic data (a collection of our traits) accessible and computable across platforms. The result, called the Phenopacket schema, is now freely available. -
Press ReleaseMay 05, 2022JAX and the Roux Institute are building a biotech workforce
The Jackson Laboratory’s Bar Harbor campus was home base for the Roux Institute at Northeastern University’s Biotechnology Applied Lab course. Trainees in attendance are Master of Science in Biotechnology students at the Roux Institute. -
Featured ArticleMay 04, 2022Putting machine learning to work for cancer patients
A research team at JAX is boosting the speed and accuracy of tumor sample image analysis, for multiple cancer types, offering the potential for more targeted treatment direction without additional testing. -
Profile StoryApril 27, 2022Data analyst visualizes life inside cells
A spotlight profile of Martine Seignon, a research data analyst specializing in data visualization in the Single Cell Biology Laboratory based at The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine in Farmington, Conn.