Welcome to the Rossmann Lab

Lineage differentiation depends on gene expression programs that regulate changes in cell fate, including metabolic changes. However, we poorly understand if, when and how metabolism actively promotes lineage specification and differentiation and how gene expression, in turn, adapts to the metabolic state. The Rossmann lab studies hematopoiesis as a paradigm to elucidate the crosstalk between transcription, specific metabolic activities, and the epigenetic landscape during cell fate decisions. We use zebrafish as a powerful genetically tractable vertebrate model that amenable to screening and in-vivo imaging, but also integrate it with mouse and human stem cell differentiation models. We strive to leverage key insights from these studies to elucidate the metabolic origins of a variety of diseases, facilitate novel metabolism-centered differentiation therapies for hematological malignancies, and combat the decline in lymphoid cell production by the aging hematopoietic system.