Scientists have been able to address specific questions about cell signaling by using innovative experimental approaches. In the papers we have read and discussed in class, or in research that I went over in detail, these experimental strategies have included: 1) transgenic mice that carry an inducible gene to study hematopoietic stem cell niches (Zhang et al. week 6); 2) gene regulation in the chick embryo using RCAS viruses (Abzhanov et al. week 7); 3) genetic manipulation of the Drosophila ovary using heat shock promoters and flip recombinase; 4) GAL/UAS to misexpress genes (Roy et al., week 5); 5) transgenic rescue of a gene knockout that is cell-type specific (Zhang et al. week 4); and 6) gene regulation by electroporation in the chick embryo (Stamataki et al. week 7).
Pick one of the above techniques, describe it in enough detail that I know you understand it, and explain how the technique was essential for elucidating the signaling event in that paper.