Ilan Davis
Group Leader
I am the lab head and Principal Investigator of the Davis lab. I am also a Wellcome Trust Senior Fellow, a Research Fellow of Jesus College and I hold the University of Oxford Chair of Cell Biology. I have been working in the Department of Biochemistry here in Oxford since 2007, where I am also the director of the Micron advanced imaging facility.
email: ilan.davis@bioch.ox.ac.uk
Tel: 01865 613265
Career Publication Highlights
Kounatidis I, Stanifer ML, Phillips MA, Paul-Gilloteaux P, Heiligenstein X, Wang H, Okolo CA, Fish TM, Spink MC, Stuart DI, Davis I, Boulant S, Grimes JM, Dobbie IM, Harkiolaki M. (2020) Correlative cryo-structured illumination fluorescence microscopy and soft X-ray tomography elucidates reovirus intracellular release pathway. Cell 182: 515–530.e17. pdf
Titlow J, Robertson F, Jarvelin A, Ish-Horowicz D, Smith C, Gratton E, Davis I. (2020). Syncrip/hnRNPQ is required for activity-induced Msp300/Nesprin expression and new synapse formation. Journal of Cell Biology 219: 1-17. pdf
Hailstone M, Waithe D, Samuels T, Yang L, Costello I, Arava Y, Robertson E, Parton RM and Davis I. (2020) CytoCensus, mapping cell identity and division in tissues and organs using machine learning. eLife 9:e51085. pdf
Samuels T, Järvelin A, Ish-Horowicz D, Davis I (2020) Imp/IGF2BP levels mo0dulate individual neural stem cell growth and division through myc mRNA stability. eLife 9:e51529. pdf
Garcia-Moreno M, Noerenberg M, Ni S, Järvelin AI, González-Almela E, Lenz CE, Bach-Pages M, Cox V, Avolio R, Davis T, Hester S, Sohier TJM, Li B, Heikel G, Michlewski G, Sanz MA, Carrasco L, Ricci EP, Pelechano V, Davis I, Fischer B, Mohammed S, Castello A. (2019). System-wide Profiling of RNA-Binding Proteins Uncovers Key Regulators of Virus Infection. Molecular Cell 74: 196-211.e11. pdf
Davidson A, Parton RM, Rabouille C, Weil TT and Davis I (2016). "Localized Translation of gurken/TGF-alpha mRNA during Axis Specification Is Controlled by Access to Orb/CPEB on Processing Bodies." Cell Reports 14: 2451-2462. pdf
McDermott, S. M., L. Yang, J. M. Halstead, R. S. Hamilton, C. Meignin and I. Davis (2014). "Drosophila Syncrip modulates the expression of mRNAs encoding key synaptic proteins required for morphology at the neuromuscular junction." RNA J 20: 1593-1606. pdf
Weil TT, Parton RM, Herpers B, Soetaert J, Veenendaal T, Xanthakis D, Dobbie IM, Halstead JM, Hayashi R, Rabouille C and Davis I (2012). "Drosophila patterning is established by differential association of mRNAs with P bodies." Nature Cell Biology 14: 1305-13. pdf
Zhang F, Wang J, Xu J, Zhang Z, Koppetsch BS, Schultz N, Vreven T, Meignin C, Davis I, Zamore PD, Weng Z, Theurkauf WE (2012). UAP56 couples piRNA clusters to the perinuclear transposon silencing machinery. Cell. 151: 871-84. pdf
Brown AN, Dobbie IM, Alakoskela J-M, Davis I and Davis DM (2012). Super-resolution imaging of remodeled synaptic actin reveals different synergies between NK cell receptors and integrins. Blood 120: 3729-3740. pdf
Parton RM, Hamilton RS, Ball G, Yang L, Cullen CF, Lu W, Ohkura H and Davis I (2011). "A PAR-1-dependent orientation gradient of dynamic microtubules directs posterior cargo transport in the Drosophila oocyte." Journal of Cell Biology 194: 121-135. pdf
Zimyanin VL, Belaya K, Pecreaux J, Gilchrist MJ, Clark A, Davis I and St Johnston D (2008). "In vivo imaging of oskar mRNA transport reveals the mechanism of posterior localization." Cell 134: 843-853. pdf
Delanoue R, Herpers B., Soetaert J., Davis I and Rabouille C (2007). "Drosophila Squid/hnRNP helps Dynein switch from a gurken mRNA transport motor to an ultrastructural static anchor in sponge bodies." Developmental Cell 13: 523-538. pdf
Van De Bor V, Hartswood E, Jones C, Finnegan D and Davis I (2005). "gurken and the I factor retrotransposon RNAs share common localization signals and machinery." Developmental Cell 9: 51-62. pdf
Delanoue R and Davis I (2005). "Dynein anchors its mRNA cargo after apical transport in the Drosophila blastoderm embryo." Cell 122: 97-106. pdf
MacDougall N, Clark A, MacDougall E and Davis I (2003). "Drosophila gurken (TGFalpha) mRNA localizes as particles that move within the oocyte in two Dynein-dependent steps." Developmental Cell 4: 307-319. pdf
Wilkie GS, Zimyanin V, Kirby R, Korey C, Francis-Lang H, Van Vactor D and Davis I (2001). "Small bristles, the Drosophila ortholog of NXF-1, is essential for mRNA export throughout development." RNA Journal 7: 1781-1792. pdf
Wilkie GS and Davis I (2001) Drosophila wingless and pair-rule transcripts localize apically by Dynein mediated transport of RNA particles. Cell 105: 209-219. pdf
Davis I, Girdham CH and O’Farrell PH (1995). "A nuclear GFP that marks nuclei in living Drosophila embryos; maternal supply overcomes a delay in the appearance of zygotic fluorescence." Developmental Biology 170: 726-729. pdf
Davis I and Ish-Horowicz D (1991) Apical Localization of Pair-rule Transcripts Requires 3’ Sequences and Limits Protein Diffusion in the Drosophila Blastoderm Embryo. Cell 67: 927-940. pdf
For a full list of my publications on ORCiD please click here
Key Research Interests
I have always held a keen interest in the influence of RNA localisation and how this influences development. In the past my lab has focussed on how mRNA transport and localised translation impacted on Drosophila embryonic axis specification. In recent years we have expanded our interest to include the same basic molecular processes to the Drosophila nervous system, in particular the brain and neuromuscular junction.
In order to achieve our scientific aims we use a wide range of scientific techniques, including advanced imaging techniques as well as an array of genetic and biochemistry-based methods.
Career Progression
1986 BA/MA Natural Sciences - Genetics, King College, University of Cambridge
1990 DPhil ICRF, Zoology Department, New College, University of Oxford
1992 SERC Postdoc Fellow, UCSF, San Francisco
1994 Boyer Postdoc Fellow, UCSF, San Francisco
1996 Wellcome Trust Career Development Fellow, University of Edinburgh
2000 Lister Fellow, Wellcome Trust Centre Cell Biology, Edinburgh University
2002 Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow, University Chair of Cell Biology, Wellcome Trust Centre Cell Biology, Edinburgh
2007 Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow, University Chair of Cell Biology, Department of Biochemistry, Oxford University
Positions Held
EMBO member, elected 2010
Wellcome Trust Career Development Fellowship 1996-2000
Lister Senior Fellowship 2000-2002
Wellcome Trust Senior Fellowship 2002-2007, 2007-2012, 2012-2017
Career Highlights
- Early pioneer of the mechanism of mRNA localisation
- Development of new FISH methods to show that mRNA localisation was unrelated to the nuclear position of transcription
- Established an in vivo assay for mRNA localisation
- Investigated the role of Dynein in mRNA transport in the Drosophila embryo
- Developed understanding of the role of gurken RNA localisation in Drosophila oocyte development
- Adapted and developed RNA labelling and imaging approaches for studying brain development and synaptic plasticity
- Worked with collaborators to apply our RNA imaging methods to study the progression of viral infections.
