The Laboratory for Gene Regulation in Development and Evolution studies Sea Urchin and other echinoderm species that have major experimental advantages which enable them to investigate the regulation of developmental process starting from fertilization. Their research has strong implications to the understanding of cell fate specification and differentiation as well as dedifferentiation processes that occur during genetic diseases, like cancer.
http://marsci.haifa.ac.il/research/research-laboratories-and-projects/marine-biology-laboratories/gene-regulation-in-development-and-evolution