Reposted by Arjuna Rajakumar PhDJEZ-B: Evo Devo @jezb1904.bsky.social · 20/09/2026New co-authored paper from a member of JEZ-B’s rising star board: Arjuna Rajakumar 032
Arjuna Rajakumar PhD @arjunarajakumar.bsky.social · 01/10/2026Excited to share some of our new work on Queen and Worker caste determination in ants!! Especially, the surprisingly role early embryonic development plays! 060
Reposted by Arjuna Rajakumar PhDIngrid Fetter-Pruneda, Ph.D. @ifetter.bsky.social · 17/08/2026Excited to share our new bioRxiv preprint! 🐜🧠🥳 We explore how age, social context, and neuromodulatory systems shape temporal polyethism in harvester ants. If you’re at #IUSSI2026, stop by Carlos Zavaleta’s poster on Wednesday to hear more! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...biorxiv.orgAnatomical mapping and regulation of dopaminergic and octopaminergic neurons during temporal polyethism in the red harvester antMany social insects, such as ants, change their behavior stereotypically from nursing to foraging as they age, a concept known as temporal polyethism. Biogenic amines are associated with these specifi... 0175
Reposted by Arjuna Rajakumar PhDMark Peifer (He, him) @peiferlabunc.bsky.social · 19/09/2026One of the best studied places in Drosophila and they find stunning new things. Biology never stops giving 🧪 0192
Reposted by Arjuna Rajakumar PhDSheri @sagrill.bsky.social · 19/09/2026This work would not have been possible without the incredible snATAC-seq atlas of the Drosophila embryo from @diegoisworking.bsky.social @jshendure.bsky.social and @eileen-furlong.bsky.social which helped us discover that germ cells retain a totipotent chromatin state throughout development! 0163
Reposted by Arjuna Rajakumar PhDSheri @sagrill.bsky.social · 19/09/2026Incredibly excited to share my new preprint! 🪰🧬 Ever wondered how germ cells can specify their fate without having a dedicated transcriptional program? We found that germ cells keep the uncommitted chromatin state of the early embryo www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...biorxiv.orgDecoupling Transcription from Cell Fate Preserves Germ Cell TotipotencyOnly germ cells can give rise to a totipotent embryo, yet a conserved transcriptional program for germ cell identity remains elusive. Profiling Drosophila primordial germ cells (PGCs) across embryogen... 24214
Arjuna Rajakumar PhD @arjunarajakumar.bsky.social · 19/09/2026Always a pole cell never a pgc! Transcription may be essential to segregate healthy and defective pole cells. Pole cells that never activate their zygotic genome and retain what mommy gave them, die. Pole cells that activate their zygotic genome too much also die. Life is a balance! 8/8 0112
Arjuna Rajakumar PhD @arjunarajakumar.bsky.social · 19/09/2026Lost children are the first germ cells to die during embryogenesis, they fail to undergo trans-epithelial migration and are lost in the gut. When we rescue their death with chk2 mutants they still retain maternal transcripts and do not express zygotic transcripts. 7/8 161
Arjuna Rajakumar PhD @arjunarajakumar.bsky.social · 19/09/2026Finally, our data uncovered a second unexpected cluster of germ cells that we term lost children. These germ cells are isolated from the 9 to 12 hour AEL window as coalesced germ cells. These germ cells completely retain their maternal transcriptome and never activate zygotic gene expression. 6/8 161
Arjuna Rajakumar PhD @arjunarajakumar.bsky.social · 19/09/2026As It turns out, nanos actually inhibits Zelda protein levels in pole cells! Now we find that pole cells in nanos mutants have a dramatic increase in Zelda protein. Nanos -> Zelda -> class II genes. This sheds new light for how nanos protects germline identity and prevents its somatization. 5/8 141
Arjuna Rajakumar PhD @arjunarajakumar.bsky.social · 19/09/2026We found that while these class II genes are expressed in pole cells, their translation is inhibited by nanos. Unexpectedly, when we examined class II transcription in nanos mutants we found a dramatic increase in their transcription!! 4/8 131
Arjuna Rajakumar PhD @arjunarajakumar.bsky.social · 19/09/2026Instead, their transcription is dependent on the pioneer factor #Zelda, where loss of Zelda results in loss of early pole cell transcription. 3/8 151
Arjuna Rajakumar PhD @arjunarajakumar.bsky.social · 19/09/2026We discovered unexpected transcription during a developmental period when pole cells were long thought to be transcriptional quiescent. These class II genes are almost all intron-less and RNApol2 independent. 2/8 170
Arjuna Rajakumar PhD @arjunarajakumar.bsky.social · 19/09/2026So proud of my lab mate @sagrill.bsky.social (whose on the job market 👀) for this magnum opus from @remlehmann.bsky.social lab @whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social ScRNA-seq of 🪰 germ cells reveals new biology, answers age old questions, and proposes new paradigms! 1/8 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... 35928
Reposted by Arjuna Rajakumar PhDAlex Eve @amjeve.uk · 24/07/2026Polyphenism - one genome producing different forms - is common in eusocial insects. @arjunarajakumar.bsky.social explores the molecular basis for Pharaoh ant caste development. Queens produce two egg types, giving rise to fertile queens or sterile workers, & queen:worker changes over time. #2026SDB 131
Reposted by Arjuna Rajakumar PhDEvan C. Brooks, Ph.D. @ecbrooks96.bsky.social · 24/07/2026I also have the honor of co-chairing the Hilde Mangold Postdoctoral Symposium at #2026SDB as well with @parahsaramore.bsky.social! We have 7 outstanding postdocs giving talks at the cutting-edge of developmental biology. Make sure to come out and support them as well! 021
Arjuna Rajakumar PhD @arjunarajakumar.bsky.social · 15/07/2026After a brutal year from a horrific shoulder injury I am SO excited for #2026SDB in Las Vegas next week! @socdevbio.bsky.social It will be my first time going to the national SDB and can't wait to reconnect and meet new scientists! I will be presenting about #ants at the #HildeMangold symposium! 0110
Reposted by Arjuna Rajakumar PhDPLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 15/07/2026The elongated shape of the #Drosophila #wing is regulated by the Dachsous-Fat signalling pathway, but how? This study shows that mechanical forces regulated by this pathway modulate tissue-wide #cytoskeletal tension to orient growth during larval development @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4vp9EOh 2134
Reposted by Arjuna Rajakumar PhDMarine Biological Laboratory @mblscience.bsky.social · 07/07/2026DEADLINE APPROACHING! ⏰ Apply to Comparative Developmental Biology by July 28. This intensive two-week laboratory course is designed for graduate students in their second or later year of Ph.D studies and post-docs. 🔗 More info here: go.mbl.edu/CDB 11410
Reposted by Arjuna Rajakumar PhDSociety for Developmental Biology @socdevbio.bsky.social · 08/07/2026Excited to host invited speaker Alexandra Joyner at #2026SDB in Las Vegas! 🎰🃏 Her research explores the genetic regulation of development and how signaling pathways shape tissue patterning and organ formation. 🧬✨ #devbio #developmentalbiology #genetics #SDB2026 082
Reposted by Arjuna Rajakumar PhDLatin American Developmental Biology @lasdb.bsky.social · 08/07/2026You should apply to this fantastic course !!! New edition of the great Quintay Developmental Biology Course !!! biodesarrollo.unab.cl 084
Reposted by Arjuna Rajakumar PhDCeri Weber @ceriweber.bsky.social · 08/07/2026I am so excited to announce that the Weber Lab will be opening in the Department of Anatomy, Physiology, & Cell Biology @ucdavisvetmed.bsky.social @ucdavis.bsky.social. We will be investigating the development and evolution of vertebra size, shape, and function. And yes, the jerboas are coming with! 1716221
Arjuna Rajakumar PhD @arjunarajakumar.bsky.social · 10/07/2026Couldn't be happier for you! Your lab is going to be incredible! 010
Reposted by Arjuna Rajakumar PhDJanina Rinke @jannelrinke.bsky.social · 02/07/2026Excited to share that our paper on Horizontal Gene Transfer is now out in its final form in @gigascience.bsky.social! 🥳 By analysing 163 high-quality ant genomes, we show that HGT from bacteria is widespread across the ants and likely has adaptive functions! doi.org/10.1093/giga... 🐜📸: Alex Wild 214151
Reposted by Arjuna Rajakumar PhDMegan Barkdull @meganbarkdull.bsky.social · 08/12/2025Thrilled to share that @corriemoreau.bsky.social and I have a new paper out in Evolution, digging into the varied ways that extreme worker plasticity impacts genome evolution in turtle ants! Paper 📃: doi.org/10.1093/evol... Image 📸: Steven Wang, tinyurl.com/2rbjbyjh 16022
Reposted by Arjuna Rajakumar PhDEvoDevo PanAm @evodevopanam.bsky.social · 01/07/2026🎉 Welcome to our newly elected PASEDB executive council members 2026😊 Yui Suzuki (Wellesley College, USA) Veronica Hinman (Whitney Marine Lab, USA) @anyimv.bsky.social (Duke U, USA) @rebeizlab.bsky.social (U of Pittsburgh) Jennifer Brisson (U of Rochester, USA) @bruvellu.bsky.social (UFMG, Brazil) 1103
Reposted by Arjuna Rajakumar PhDEvoDevo PanAm @evodevopanam.bsky.social · 07/07/2026🌟A central mission of #PASEDB is to foster networking, discussion, and a sense of community We want to highlight new #EvoDevo labs in Pan-America. In our Newsletter June edition we highlight: - Daniela J. Di Bella - @patrickrohner.bsky.social - Carolina Purcell Goes 123
Reposted by Arjuna Rajakumar PhDSam Arsenault, PhD @samarsenault.bsky.social · 28/05/2026Excited to announce the Arsenault Lab is launching this fall at Mississippi State! We'll be using ants as a model to tackle fundamental questions in evolutionary biology and evo-devo through genetics and genomics techniques. Please reach out if you're interested, or share with someone who might be! 0114
Reposted by Arjuna Rajakumar PhDJagannathan Lab @jagannathan-lab.bsky.social · 08/01/2026An exciting update to a preprint from our lab! Barcode-like satellite DNA repeats enable homology detection in meiosis. Led by the fantastic @skrutlnize.bsky.social. (MJ) www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/...biorxiv.orgMeiotic pairing through barcode-like satellite DNA repeatsDuring meiosis, chromosomes must find, pair, and synapse with their homologous partners in the crowded milieu of the nucleus (1). Although homology detection is generally attributed to recombination, ... 0114
Reposted by Arjuna Rajakumar PhDAlex Eve @amjeve.uk · 09/07/2026Now's your chance to collect citeable 'at a glance' posters from @dev-journal.bsky.social & @dmmjournal.bsky.social at #ISSCR2026, including 'Stem cell-based models of early human development' by @liliulab.bsky.social and @jun-wu-lab.bsky.social l. Visit @biologists.bsky.social booth #1005. 0126
Reposted by Arjuna Rajakumar PhDSociety for Developmental Biology @socdevbio.bsky.social · 10/07/2026✨ Excited to host invited speaker Roberto Mayor (@mayorlab.bsky.social) at #2026SDB in Las Vegas! 🎰🃏 His research explores morphogenesis, focusing on how cells migrate, interact, and generate diverse cell types during development. 🧬✨ #devbio 0257
Reposted by Arjuna Rajakumar PhDbioRxiv Developmental Biology @biorxiv-devbio.bsky.social · 10/07/2026Late embryonic expansion of a novel bone ridge underlies the evolutionary transformation of cylindrically shaped forelimb bones into the flattened skeleton of the penguin flipper www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/20… 001
Reposted by Arjuna Rajakumar PhDbioRxiv Developmental Biology @biorxiv-devbio.bsky.social · 10/07/2026Subfunctionalization of tbx2 paralogues during photoreceptor cell specification in zebrafish www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/20… 011
Reposted by Arjuna Rajakumar PhDbioRxiv Developmental Biology @biorxiv-devbio.bsky.social · 10/07/2026Single-molecule imaging reveals cytoplasmic translation of P granule-enriched mRNAs in C. elegans www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/20… 033
Reposted by Arjuna Rajakumar PhDThe Social Fluids Lab @socialfluids.bsky.social · 07/05/2025Hello World! The Social Fluids Lab as arrived. ☀️Come to the Socially Transferred Materials symposium at #ESEB2025 in August. Read our preprints: 🦠 doi.org/10.1101/2025... & 🪲 doi.org/10.1101/2024... OR recent papers: 🐜 🍼 doi.org/10.1073/pnas... & 🐜🌱 doi.org/10.1038/s420...doi.orgA stochastic ratchet during genome streamlining can commit insect endosymbionts to a parasitic or mutualistic fateMany arthropods, including insects, harbor endosymbiotic bacteria. As bacteria transitioned to live inside host cells, free-living bacterial ancestors of endosymbionts reduced their genomes in a proce... 095
Reposted by Arjuna Rajakumar PhDMichael Baym @baym.lol · 17/02/2025Please don’t stop sharing and posting your science because of the current attack on it, it is still valuable and reminds us what the fight is for 333988
Reposted by Arjuna Rajakumar PhDJay Goodman @jaygoodman.bsky.social · 03/02/2025Incredibly excited to rejuvenate my scientific social network on Bluesky! Current and past research interests include germline immortality, protein folding and organelle remodeling during development. Looking forward to what lies ahead! 063
Reposted by Arjuna Rajakumar PhDbioRxiv Developmental Biology @biorxiv-devbio.bsky.social · 26/01/2025Single-molecule mitochondrial DNA imaging reveals heteroplasmy dynamics shaped by developmental bottlenecks and selection in different organs in vivo www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/202… 021
Reposted by Arjuna Rajakumar PhDCarolyn Bertozzi @carolynbertozzi.bskyverified.social · 05/12/2024Amazing new work from the lab of @aliceyting.bsky.social @stanfordmedicine.bsky.social @stanfordbiosci.bsky.social, engineered GPCRs for ligand-activated cell responses www.nature.com/articles/s41...nature.comSynthetic GPCRs for programmable sensing and control of cell behaviour - NatureModular synthetic G-protein-coupled receptors with nanobody-based ligand-recognition domains can be designed and used to programme transgene expression, real-time fluorescence or endogenous G-protein ... 018932
Reposted by Arjuna Rajakumar PhDSheena Sidhu, PhD @sheenabees.bsky.social · 05/12/2024Just joined Bluesky and I'm DELIGHTED that so many of my past twitter-life ento friends are already here! I MISSED YOU GUYS!!! #entomology 🐝 061
Reposted by Arjuna Rajakumar PhDsandraduharcourt.bsky.social @sandraduharcourt.bsky.social · 25/11/2024For my first post here, I am happy to share that our latest paper is out at #NAR. Thanks for the smooth and constructive reviewing process and the highlight #RNAbiology #TEsky #smallRNAs (1/8) doi.org/10.1093/nar/...doi.orgThe PIWI-interacting protein Gtsf1 controls the selective degradation of small RNAs in ParameciumAbstract. Ciliates undergo developmentally programmed genome elimination, in which small RNAs direct the removal of transposable elements (TEs) during the 69625
Reposted by Arjuna Rajakumar PhDZenlabpasteur.bsky.social @zenlabpasteur.bsky.social · 24/11/2024Just published in Development (@biologists.bsky.social): doi.org/10.1242/dev....doi.orgNon-apoptotic caspase events and Atf3 expression underlie direct neuronal differentiation of adult neural stem cellsHighlighted Article: An inducible Cas3*/Cas7* sensor demonstrates that non-apoptotic caspase events occur in zebrafish neural stem cells. In cooperation with the stress-induced transcription factor At... 22310
Reposted by Arjuna Rajakumar PhDbioRxiv Evolutionary Biology @biorxiv-evobio.bsky.social · 23/11/2024The Rise of Polyploids During Environmental Catastrophes www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/202… biorxiv.orgThe Rise of Polyploids During Environmental Catastrophes https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.22.624806v1 Polyploidy, or whole-genome duplication (WGD), both a strong evolutionary and ecological force and a 0198
Reposted by Arjuna Rajakumar PhDepithelial mechanics fan club @epimechfc.bsky.social · 21/11/2024About Traction Force Microscopy bsky.app/profile/epim... 1187
Reposted by Arjuna Rajakumar PhDKate Cavanaugh @katecavanaugh.bsky.social · 20/11/2024Absolutely gorgeous story out from @eposfai.bsky.social's team. Check it out for the story, and oogle over the images 🤩sciencedirect.comA tug-of-war between germ cell motility and intercellular bridges controls germline cyst formation in miceGametes in many species develop in cysts—clusters of germ cells formed by incomplete cytokinesis—that remain connected through intercellular bridges (… 1194