Welcome to the Dow / Davies labs

Our labs are within the Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, in the College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences at the University of Glasgow in beautiful Scotland. We are the hosts of the famous FlyAtlas.org transcriptomic resource.

We are interested in applying the unique power of Drosophila molecular genetics to basic questions in physiology of cell signalling, transport and stress response. In particular, we have established that the Drosophila Malpighian (renal) tubule is amenable to physiological, biochemical, molecular and genetic analysis. We have also shown that it plays key roles in immunity and xenobiotic detoxification, as well as its classical function as a fluid-secreting tissue.

From our microarray and proteomic papers, we have identified the major transport and cell signalling genes involved in the function of this model epithelium. We specialize in intervening genetically to study gene function in physiological (organotypic) context. For functional genomics, the tubule is becoming accepted as one of the more robust phenotypes available at present for the analysis of almost any cell signalling or transport gene, even those originally thought to be nervous-system specific!

We are now moving into metabolomics, metabolic pathway modelling and systems biology, aided by the proximity of the Scottish National Centre for Metabolomics.

Uniquely among model epithelia, the beautiful genetic techniques developed by the Drosophila community let us manipulate gene expression in single tissues, or even single cell subtypes, within the intact organism. This ability to manipulate the tissue in vivo gives the tubules an essential qualification for the new integrative physiology. Indeed, our group was amongst the first in the world to realise that integrative physiology and functional genomics are closely linked, by the need for reverse genetics, transgenics and genetic 'model organisms'.

Our "manifesto" is that there should be at least one model epithelium in biology which can be studied with this convergence of techniques, and that the Drosophila melanogaster tubule is it.