We take an interdisciplinary experimental approach to studying questions of biological importance. These questions are: how is expression of endogenous genes regulated in complex multicellular animals; how is expression of selfish genes (viruses and transposons) silenced in animals; how do cells change their shape in complex tissues to mold the tissue into a functional unit? We tackle these questions with a myriad of methods: forward genetics; fluorescence microscopy; next-generation sequencing; virology; protein mass-spectrometry; cell culture; computer modeling. We work with collaborators in the Chicago area and around the world.