Mike Bate
Encyclopedia
Christopher Michael Bate FRS (born 1943) is an Emeritus Professor of developmental biology
at the Department of zoology
and fellow at the Kings College, Cambridge.
His research is concerned with the way in which the machinery underlying coordinated movement is assembled during embryo
nic development. On the one hand this involves an analysis of the way in which muscle
s are assembled, specified and patterned and on the other an investigation of the way in which motor circuits are generated and begin to function.
His group works with the fruitfly, Drosophila melanogaster
and brings a combination of genetic, molecular and cellular techniques to bear on the issues of neuromuscular development. At the moment Mike Bate is working on the genetic basis of myoblast
recruitment and fusion and on an electrophysiological
and structural analysis of the way in which functional properties are acquired by embryonic neurons.
He is a noteworthy ski instructor.
Developmental biology
Developmental biology is the study of the process by which organisms grow and develop. Modern developmental biology studies the genetic control of cell growth, differentiation and "morphogenesis", which is the process that gives rise to tissues, organs and anatomy.- Related fields of study...
at the Department of zoology
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
and fellow at the Kings College, Cambridge.
His research is concerned with the way in which the machinery underlying coordinated movement is assembled during embryo
Embryo
An embryo is a multicellular diploid eukaryote in its earliest stage of development, from the time of first cell division until birth, hatching, or germination...
nic development. On the one hand this involves an analysis of the way in which muscle
Muscle
Muscle is a contractile tissue of animals and is derived from the mesodermal layer of embryonic germ cells. Muscle cells contain contractile filaments that move past each other and change the size of the cell. They are classified as skeletal, cardiac, or smooth muscles. Their function is to...
s are assembled, specified and patterned and on the other an investigation of the way in which motor circuits are generated and begin to function.
His group works with the fruitfly, Drosophila melanogaster
Drosophila melanogaster
Drosophila melanogaster is a species of Diptera, or the order of flies, in the family Drosophilidae. The species is known generally as the common fruit fly or vinegar fly. Starting from Charles W...
and brings a combination of genetic, molecular and cellular techniques to bear on the issues of neuromuscular development. At the moment Mike Bate is working on the genetic basis of myoblast
Myoblast
A myoblast is a type of embryonic progenitor cell that gives rise to muscle cells .The muscle cells can be skeletal muscle, smooth muscle, and cardiac muscle....
recruitment and fusion and on an electrophysiological
Electrophysiology
Electrophysiology is the study of the electrical properties of biological cells and tissues. It involves measurements of voltage change or electric current on a wide variety of scales from single ion channel proteins to whole organs like the heart...
and structural analysis of the way in which functional properties are acquired by embryonic neurons.
He is a noteworthy ski instructor.
External links
- Website at the Department of Zoology
- "Michael Bate Interview", Alan Macfarlane, 2 July 2008