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Baarends Lab

Department                            Developmental Biology

Principal investigator            Willy Baarends

E-mail address                        w.baarends@erasmusmc.nl

Website                                    https://www.erasmusmc.nl/en/research/researchers/baarends-willy

Human granulosa cell differentiation

Suitable as a BEP? No

Suitable as a MEP? Yes

Suitable as an Academic Research Project? No

Techniques:

  • hIPSC culture
  • Bioinformatics
  • Analyses of mRNA expression
  • Immunocytochemistry
  • Microscopy

As part of a consortium that aims to generate gametes from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hIPSCs)we are focussing on the female gamete and for that we need to develop a culture model that contains somatic supporting cells (granulosa cells) and developing female germ cells. In this project we wish to optimize the differentiation of hIPSCs into granulosa cells by testing different candidate growth factors and culture conditions

Further reading (click to link to article)

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40580487/

 

 

(Example) projects submitted by lab in past years

(2024-2025) Sex determination in Ellobius Lutescens

Supervisor: WM Baarends, w.baarends@erasmusmc.nl

We have generated new whole genome sequencing data to build a better version of the Ellobius genome. We use a special software program to find candidate sex determining genes. Possible candidates will be further verified through expression analyses and functional experiments in cell lines, or mouse models.

Techniques

  • Bioinformatics
  • Quantitatie (RT)-PCR
  • Immunocytochemistry
  • Cell culture
  • Microscopy

 

(2024-2025) (In vitro) meiosis and sex determination

Supervisor: WM Baarends, w.baarends@erasmusmc.nl

We are using mouse embryonic stem cell lines and human iPSC lines to try to setup a procedure to recapitulate male and female germ cell development in vitro. To this end we have to generate both somatic supporting cells and primordial germ cell-like cells and then perform cocultures to make ovary or testes “organoids”. We wish the use these models to recapitulate sex determination and gametogenesis (in particular meiosis) in vitro to answer basic questions related to the intricate molecular regulation of these processes. In addition we use mouse models to study the mechanism of homologous chromosome pairing during meiotic prophase, and to assess the quality of meiosis progression in our in vitro models by comparison. You would work on one of the sub-projects (somatic cell differentiation, or germ cell differentiation, in vitro models, or mouse model).

Techniques

  • Cell culture
  • Analyses of mRNA and protein expression
  • Gene targeting
  • (superresolution) microscopy
  • Bioinformatic analyses