Welcome to the Blackwell Lab home page We are located at Joslin DiabetesCenter in Boston, MA. Our lab uses the model organism C. elegans to study two sets of biological processes that involve developmental regulation of gene expression. We are investigating conserved mechanisms that defend against oxidative and other stresses, and how they contribute to development and longevity. We also study specialized mechanisms that regulate broad gene expression programs in the germline and early embryo, as models for stem cell biology.