Daniel Núñez-León, Ph.D.

Research

In the Chuong lab, I will investigate how different birds produce distinctive and varied facial decorations. Each of these accessories has a unique function—whether it’s involved in courtship, physical protection, or thermal regulation. We tend to think of all chickens as having a red comb and wattle. But different chicken breeds also sport a diverse array of extravagant craniofacial adornments, from crests and beards to ear tufts. Using a suite of sophisticated techniques in cell and molecular genetics, developmental biology, and gene editing, I will identify the cells and genes that give rise to the characteristic facial appendages of three different chicken breeds and determine whether transplanting these unique specifiers of developmental fate into a standard commercial chicken breed will modify these birds’ appearance. A deeper understanding of the complexities of facial development could lead to novel therapies for a variety of craniofacial conditions in people.