Mammalian embryo development relies on precise gene regulation to establish and maintain cell identities. Pluripotent cells transition from a naïve to a formative state before committing to specific lineages, but the molecular mechanisms behind these shifts remain unclear. A newly funded project led by Perutz group leader Martin Leeb aims to map the gene regulatory networks governing these transitions using CRISPR-based functional genomics and computational approaches. “While pluripotency is well-studied, the mechanisms behind these transitions are still poorly understood, limiting our ability to control cell fate decisions in stem cell research and regenerative medicine”, Martin explains. His research will uncover how cells balance stability and plasticity during early development, paving the way for more precise stem cell differentiation and better in vitro models of mammalian development. The project is a collaboration with Jörg Menche at the Perutz and Andreas Beyer at the Technical University of Dresden, Germany, who contribute expertise in network biology approaches respectively, as well as with Christoph Bock at the Austrian Academy of Science Center for Molecular Medicine (CeMM), who will support CRISPR-based functional genomics.