| This project combines our technological advancements in mitochondrial analysis and nanosorting with an in-vivo mitochondrial lineage tracing approach, which will enable us able to map the developmental fate of specific mitochondrial subtypes in mammalian eggs through post-fertilization to the point in early embryogenesis when the inner cell mass and trophectoderm are specified at the first cell-fate decision. This project will also explore the novel concept that subtypes of mitochondria, which differ in their biochemical properties, proteomic landscapes, and segregation patterns during asymmetric cell divisions, serve as transcription factor shuttles that then guide stem cell fate decisions and lineage commitment during development |