She continued to do her PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the group of Susumu Tonegawa where she received her doctoral degree in 1985.
With her research, Anne Ephrussi has contributed to the elucidation of the crucial role that spatial and temporal control of mRNA localization and translation play in oocyte development and cell polarity.
During transport, translation of oskar is repressed by the RNA-binding protein Bruno, which is in turn released by the binding of activators (e.g. Orb) upon arrival at the posterior pole.
Further, the roles of non-canonical RNA binding proteins in development as well as germ plasm assembly and function are investigated.
These questions are tackled using a combination of genetics, biochemistry and a broad spectrum of cell biological and imaging approaches using the large Drosophila melanogaster oocyte as a model.