Our research interests focus on the question of how genetic variation is translated into phenotypic diversity, through embryonic and post-embryonic development. We are particularly interested in how changes in gene regulation are driving this morphological and cellular evolution, and to what extent alterations in the underlying developmental programs are possible (i.e. environmentally induced 'phenotypic plasticity' versus 'developmental constraint'). As model systems, we are studying the development of the vertebrate skeleton with its associated neuromuscular system and dietary adaptions in the gastrointestinal tract. We are using experimental embryology, functional genomics, bioinformatics, targeted genome modifications, imaging, and in silico modeling.