Development of the visual system using the marsupial mammal, the wallaby, as a model. The protracted and largely postnatal development of the visual system in the wallaby, combined with features it shares with higher placental mammals, make it an excellent alternative model for developmental studies. It permits unrivalled access for experimental manipulation at early stages.  Molecular mechanisms involved in the establishment of cortical areas and their connections and in the establishment of the topographic map made by retinal axons in the midbrain are being investigated. Molecules being examined include brain-derived neurotrophic factor and Ten_m3, a transmembrane protein.
Lauren Marotte.