A nearly $1 million National Science Foundation award is funding University of Georgia research that investigates how animals develop as male or female—a central question in biology with implications for health, evolution, and biotechnology.  

Douglas Menke, professor of genetics and director of the Developmental Biology Alliance, will lead the project with Jonathan Eggenschwiler, professor of genetics, serving as co-principal investigator. The award provides approximately $980,000 in funding through 2030. 

Menke’s research focuses on Anolis sagrei, a small lizard whose sex chromosome system differs from those found in mammals and birds. Scientists have long understood that chromosomes help determine biological sex in many species, but the process varies widely in reptiles, and the mechanisms are not fully understood. 

The project will examine how specific genes control the development of testes or ovaries during early life stages. Menke and his team will study a gene located on the Y chromosome alongside a related gene on its X chromosome. Early evidence suggests that interactions between these genes may guide the formation of male reproductive structures. 

Researchers will use gene-editing technology, imaging, and molecular analysis to test how these genes function in developing lizard cells. The work builds on advances in lizard gene editing developed at Franklin College, which expanded research beyond traditional model organisms. 

The findings could identify a previously unknown mechanism of sex determination and shed light on how similar processes operate across vertebrate species. 

“We want to understand how these systems work at a basic level,” Menke said. “By studying species with different biology, we can uncover mechanisms that differ from those that have been identified in more commonly studied organisms.” 

The NSF supports projects that advance fundamental knowledge and contribute to national science and engineering priorities. This award recognizes both the scientific importance of the work and its potential to inform biotechnology and workforce development. 

The project will also support undergraduate and graduate students who will gain experience in gene editing and developmental biology methods used in modern research. 

Menke’s lab studies how genes shape development and evolution across species. Eggenschwiler’s research focuses on genetic signaling pathways that control development in vertebrates, including processes relevant to human health. Together, the team brings complementary expertise to the study of how genes regulate biological form and function.