Robert J. Johnston

Blocking apoptosis promotes survival and alters developmental dynamics of human retinal ganglion cells in retinal organoids

This study shows that blocking apoptosis in retinal organoids increases RGC survival but delays their development, highlighting apoptosis's role in regulating RGC quantity and dynamics.

DIO3 coordinates photoreceptor development timing and fate stability in human retinal organoids

This study identifies DIO3 as a regulator of photoreceptor development timing and fate stability in human retinal organoids, proposing an hourglass model for developmental progression.

Application of machine learning to discriminate photoreceptor cell species in xenotransplanted chimeric retinas

The paper develops a machine learning method to distinguish donor human photoreceptor cells from recipient animal cells in xenotransplanted retinas using nuclear morphology features.

Complement Factor H and its C. elegans homolog regulate IFT52/OSM-6 and CNG channel localization in sensory neurons

This study shows CFH and its C. elegans homolog CFH-1 regulate IFT52/OSM-6 and CNG channel localization in sensory neurons, linking CFH dysfunction to AMD-related ciliary defects.

Cell fate specification and conversion generate foveolar cone subtype patterning in human retinal organoids

The paper identifies mechanisms that generate M/L cone dominance and suppress S cones in the human foveola using retinal organoids and signaling pathway regulators.

Activating and repressing gene expression between chromosomes during stochastic fate specification

The paper studies transvection in Drosophila to understand how DNA elements regulate gene expression between chromosomes during development.

Transretinal migration of astrocytes and brain/spinal cord-like cells arising from transplanted human retinal organoids.

This study transplants human retinal organoids into mice and identifies two classes of graft-derived cells with distinct migration and maturation behaviors.

Temporally dynamic antagonism between transcription and chromatin compaction controls stochastic photoreceptor specification

The paper shows that transcription and chromatin compaction dynamically antagonize to control stochastic photoreceptor subtype specification in Drosophila.

Characterization of histone inheritance patterns in the Drosophila female germline

The paper characterizes histone inheritance patterns in Drosophila female germline asymmetric divisions, showing differential inheritance at genes related to stem cell maintenance and differentiation.

Spatiotemporal specification of human green and red cones

The paper investigates the spatiotemporal development of M and L cones in the human retina, finding that retinoic acid signaling promotes M cone fate early in development.

Interdependent regulation of stereotyped and stochastic photoreceptor fates in the fly eye

The paper shows how stochastic and stereotyped transcription factor interactions regulate photoreceptor subtype fate in Drosophila.

Modeling binary and graded cone cell fate patterning in the mouse retina

The paper develops a stochastic model of cone cell fate patterning in the mouse retina based on thyroid hormone signaling and single-cell opsin expression data.

TADs pair homologous chromosomes to promote interchromosomal gene regulation

The paper identifies TADs as button loci that facilitate homologous chromosome pairing and cell-type-specific interchromosomal gene regulation in Drosophila.

Thyroid hormone signaling specifies cone subtypes in human retinal organoids

The paper shows thyroid hormone signaling controls the temporal switch between S and L/M cone fates in human retinal organoids.

A Feed-forward Relay between Bicoid and Orthodenticle Regulates the Timing ofEmbryonic Patterning in Drosophila

The paper identifies three classes of enhancers regulated by Bicoid and Orthodenticle in Drosophila embryos, revealing a feed-forward relay mechanism that coordinates gene expression timing.

Natural variation in stochastic photoreceptor specification and color preference in Drosophila

The paper identifies a genetic variant that alters the stochastic expression of a transcription factor in Drosophila, affecting photoreceptor cell fate and color preference.