The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research

Dr Tim Thomas

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Division: Molecular Medicine

Research Overview

Stem cells have the capacity to self-renew while retaining the ability to differentiate into at least one, but usually multiple, different cell types. Clearly a specific pattern of gene expression is required to maintain the stem cell in a proliferating but undifferentiated state. Stem cells and progenitors are also unique in that they are able to initiate distinctly different programs of gene expression as they differentiate into different cell types. Stem cells of all types have attracted considerable interest in recent years and a great deal of emphasis has been placed on their potential to provide new treatments, particularly in the area of regenerative medicine. All existing stem cell therapies, as well as future therapies, depend on stem cells expressing the required pattern of genes at the correct time.

The Developmental Genetics Laboratory (headed by Dr Tim Thomas)

Selected Publications

1. Voss AK, Collin C, Dixon MP, Thomas T. Moz and retinoic acid coordinately regulate H3K9 acetylation, Hox gene expression, and segment identity. Dev Cell. 2009 Nov;17(5):674-86. PMID: 19922872 [PubMed - in process]
2. Thomas T, Dixon MP, Kueh AJ, Voss AK. Mof (MYST1, KAT8) is essential for progression of embryonic development past the blastocyst stage and required for normal chromatin architecture. Mol Cell Biol. 2008 Jun 9; [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 18541669 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
3. Voss AK, Britto JM, Dixon MP, Sheikh BN, Collin C, Tan SS, Thomas T. C3G regulates cortical neuron migration, preplate splitting and radial glial cell attachment. Development. 2008 Jun;135(12):2139-49, PMID: 18506028 [PubMed - in process]
4. Merson TD, Dixon MP, Collin C, Rietze RL, Bartlett PF, Thomas T, Voss AK. The transcriptional coactivator Querkopf controls adult neurogenesis. J Neurosci. 2006 Nov 1;26(44):11359-70 PMID: 17079664 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
5. Voss AK, Krebs DL, Thomas T. C3G regulates the size of the cerebral cortex neural precursor population. EMBO J. 2006 Aug 9;25(15):3652-63 PMID: 16858399 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
6. Thomas T, Corcoran LM, Gugasyan R, Dixon MP, Brodnicki T, Nutt SL, Metcalf D, Voss AK. Monocytic leukemia zinc finger protein is essential for the development of long-term reconstituting hematopoietic stem cells. Genes Dev. 2006 May 1;20(9):1175-86 PMID: 16651658 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
7. Voss AK, Gruss P, Thomas T. The guanine nucleotide exchange factor C3G is necessary for the formation of focal adhesions and vascular maturation. Development. 2003 Jan;130(2):355-67 PMID: 12466202 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
8. Rietze RL, Valcanis H, Brooker GF, Thomas T, Voss AK, Bartlett PF. Purification of a pluripotent neural stem cell from the adult mouse brain. Nature. 2001 Aug 16;412(6848):736-9 PMID: 11507641 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
9. Voss AK, Thomas T, Petrou P, Anastassiadis K, Schöler H, Gruss P. Taube nuss is a novel gene essential for the survival of pluripotent cells of early mouse embryos. Development. 2000 Dec;127(24):5449-61 PMID: 11076765 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
10. Thomas T, Voss AK, Chowdhury K, Gruss P. Querkopf, a MYST family histone acetyltransferase, is required for normal cerebral cortex development. Development. 2000 Jun;127(12):2537-48 PMID: 10821753 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Current Laboratory Members

Laboratory Head: Tim Thomas BSc(Hons) Melbourne PhD Melbourne

Laboratory Head: Anne Voss BVSc Hannover PD Goettingen PhD Hannover

Senior Postdoctoral Fellow: Isobel Lawrenson BSc(Hons) Newcastle PhD Leeds

Research Assistant: Natalie Downer BSc(Hons) Melbourne

Research Assistant: Lisa Sampurno BBiomedSc(Hons) Melbourne

Postgraduate Student: Farrah El-Saafin BMedSc LaTrobe BSc(Hons) Melbourne

Postgraduate Student: Andrew Kueh BSc(Hons) Melbourne MB BS Melbourne

Postgraduate Student: Bilal Sheikh BBiomedSc(Hons) Melbourne

Postgraduate Student: Hannah Vanyai BA Melbourne BSc(Hons) Melbourne

Scientific Coordinator/Alliance Manager: Fiona McGrath BAppSc(Hons) RMIT

Administration Officer: Etty Bonnici