My project focuses on the epigenetic regulation of vertebrate eye development. Specifically, I am interested in how DNA methylation, a well known epigenetic mark, orchestrates differentiation events during the lens epithelial to fiber transition and during retinal neurogenesis, when progenitor cells are actively reprogrammed and the DNA methylation pattern is likely dynamic. To test this, I utilize genome engineering approach to target genes involved in DNA methylation, and genome-wide approaches to profile the methylation and transcription statuses of progenitor and differentiated cell types.

Seritrkul, P. and Gross, JM. "Expression of the de novo DNA Methyltransferases (dnmt3-dnmt8) during zebrafish lens development" - Developmental Dynamics - Feb;243(2):350-6 (2014) 

Seritrakul, P., Samarut, E., Lama, T. T. S., Gibert, Y., Laudet, V., & Jackman, W. R. "Retinoic acid expands the evolutionarily reduced dentition of zebrafish" - FASEB J. (2012) [doi:10.1096/fj.12-209304]  

Gibert, Y., Bernard, L., Debiais-Thibaud, M., Bourrat, F., Joly, J., Pottin, K., Meyer, A., Retaux, S., Stock, D., Jackman, W., Seritrakul, P., Begemann, G., Laudet, V. "Formation of oral and pharyngeal dentition in teleosts depends on differential recruitment of retinoic acid signaling" - FASEB J. (2010) [doi: 10.1096/fj.09-147488]

• Dean's Excellence Fellowship, 2013-2014
• Phi Beta Kappa Society Member, 2011-present 
• Rockefeller Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF), Summer 2010
• IDeA Network for Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE), Summer 2009
• Howard Hughes Medical Institute Fellowship (HHMI), Summer 2008   

Seritrakul, P. and Gross, JM. "Functional Analysis of de novo DNA methylation and demethylation during zebrafish eye development" 11th International Conference on Zebrafish Development and Genetics. 2014. Madison, WI. 

Seritrakul, P. and Gross, JM. "Roles of de novo DNA methylation in zebrafish lens development" The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Annual Meeting. 2013. Seattle, WA. 

BIO395: Genetics. Spring 2013. TA