Duke University · BiologySpine and Gut Biology Lab
Michel Bagnat · Durham, North Carolina
Research Focus
Dr. Michel Bagnat's lab studies the biological mechanisms behind vertebrate spine formation and gut nutrient absorption. The team focuses on specialized cells in the notochord and enterocytes, using models like zebrafish and mice. Their research aims to uncover how these cells regulate crucial processes that could inform treatments for spinal dysfunction and improve understanding of digestive health, particularly in infants.
notochordspine formationintervertebral disclysosome rich enterocytesendocytosisprotein absorptionzebrafishmicecell biologyvacuole biogenesis
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate mechanisms regulating notochord vacuole biogenesis and function.
AIM 02Explore the role of notochord vacuoles in spine formation.
AIM 03Elucidate endocytic mechanisms in lysosome rich enterocytes.
AIM 04Analyze the conservation of enterocyte function between zebrafish and mammals.
AIM 05Examine the impact of notochord cells on intervertebral disc degeneration.
Skills the Lab Values
cell culturezebrafish husbandryanimal modelsimmunofluorescencegenetic manipulationmicroscopymolecular cloningWestern blottingRNA sequencingdata analysis
Output against the department
Publications112bottom 39% of dept.627th of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations4.4kbottom 34% of dept.681st of 1,033
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.