Our group is interested on the cellular mechanisms that mediate adaptation to stress conditions, and to this end, utilizes the unique genetic tools available in fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Cells can adapt to adverse environmental situations by altering their gene expression profile, and by mounting a wide array of physiological responses that enable restoration of homeostasis. In this context, our research focuses on the role of autophagy, intracellular vesicle trafficking and transcriptional responses to hypoxia during developmental processes. Specifically, we are studying the role of autophagy in cell differentiation during hematopoiesis in fly larvae, and how the different signaling pathways involved are regulated by autophagy. We are particularly interested on the relationship between autophagy and vesicular dynamics during endocytosis, exocytosis and lysosomal degradation. We intend to understand how these subcellular machineries interplay with each other to regulate intracellular signaling and thereby, cell differentiation during development.