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Dr. Brittany J. Carr

@drbjcarr.bsky.social
2.5K followers 1.7K following 1.3K posts

Assistant Prof @UAlberta. Genetically-modified frogs 🐸, retinal development & degeneration, imaging. She/Her. Views are my own. Canadian 🇨🇦

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Dr. Brittany J. Carr @drbjcarr.bsky.social · 17h
If anyone wants to know how stupid our provincial government is, the question "Should Alberta hold a referendum on separation from Canada?" is being asked at the same time as the question "Should Alberta elections should require proof of Canadian citizenship to vote?" 💩
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Dr. Brittany J. Carr @drbjcarr.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Can someone please explain like I'm 5 the actual sample prep steps for bulk RNA-seq because published paper methods are like 4 sentences long, and I feel as if I may be greatly overthinking this...🧪🐸
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Dr. Brittany J. Carr @drbjcarr.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Gambling ads should be outlawed.
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Dr. Brittany J. Carr @drbjcarr.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Mine are pretty tame. In 2021, they put me in a small library to do my talk over zoom, so I didn't have to mask. That was fine, but then they forgot about me (?!) I opened the door to a darkened empty space and had to find my own way out of the bowels of a closed building I've never been in before 💀
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Dr. Brittany J. Carr @drbjcarr.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
My new nemesis is officially the University of Calgary medical school reference form.
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BCCHR ResDev (DM) @resdevbcch.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
‼️ attention Canadian health researchers ‼️ #CIHR has posted the Project Grants Discussion Paper and a related *survey* cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/54821.html Please please participate 🙏
photo of the “help shape the future of the project grant program” announcement by CIHR. TEXT is accessible in the hyperlink in this post.
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Dr. Brittany J. Carr @drbjcarr.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
In the latest development of #justlablife a rascally frog has figured out how to open the rack lids and escape. They have done this TWICE now (same frog, who we have now named Drainy Houdini). Now we have to shim the lids shut using lily pads. At least its on theme. 🐸 🧪
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Andrew Iwaniuk @evoneuro.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Two funded MSc positions are available with us thanks to an NSERC-Alliance grant. Working with the McDonald lab, the focus will be on the neurobehavioural effects of chronic exposure to microplastics in rodents. If you or anyone you know are interested, contact us! #neuroskyence #neuroethology
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Dr. Brittany J. Carr @drbjcarr.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Yi-Rong is looking for a postdoctoral fellow! She's not on Bluesky so helping spread the word. Please follow the link to apply #retina 🧪 www.nature.com/naturecareer...
nature.com
Postdoctoral Scholar in Visual System Neurobiology & Multi-Omics - Los Angeles, California job with University of California Los Angeles | 12864661
We are seeking a highly motivated scientist trained in neuroscience with expertise in molecular biology and bioinformatics
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Nicole CL Noel @nclnoel.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
My work on the turquoise killifish photoreceptor mosaic was published last week - check it out if you’re interested in photoreceptors, cell organization, and pretty pictures! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Ordered Chaos: Photoreceptor Mosaics in the Larval and Adult Turquoise Killifish (<i>Nothobranchius furzeri</i>)
The annual turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri) cone photoreceptor mosaic is an ordered lattice but lacks regularity of cone subtypes in adulthood. The cone mosaic differs between life stages...
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Dr. Brittany J. Carr @drbjcarr.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
People talk about getting exhausted in academia and then how balls start dropping. I didn't realize that a dropped ball of mine would be accidentally stealing a rental car in Helsinki for 5 days lmaooooooo 💀 It's all good, they just let pay the difference when I dropped it off. I love Finland 💙🤍
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Dr. Brittany J. Carr @drbjcarr.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Such beautiful chandeliers in this lecture hall.
A chandelier built from 5 glass bowls with a soft orange glow. It is backlit by white skylight windows.
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Anna La Torre @latorrelab.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
I’ve spent much of my career studying the eye, but having a dear friend diagnosed with an inherited retinal disease has made this work feel much more personal. Please consider helping us reach our VisionWalk goal, every donation big or small counts: give.fightingblindness.org/fundraiser/7...
give.fightingblindness.org
Washington VisionWalk 2026
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MwahahahahahadScientist @mads100tist.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
You know what's amazing? Despite the world going to hell, the rising fascism, the uncertainty, my timeline is full of people doing amazing things. People show up and create, fight back, have fun and whimsy. That's how we win.
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Dr. Brittany J. Carr @drbjcarr.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
New preprint! We analyzed 190 pathogenic PROM1 variants and found positive associations between dominant missense variants and milder cone-specifc phenotypes (maculopathies). We also share some rare and unique PROM1 case series, including patients with SDD/drusen.🧪👀 www.medrxiv.org/content/10.6...
medrxiv.org
Genotype-Phenotype Correlations Reveal Positive Inheritance and Phenotype Associations for PROM1-Associated Inherited Retinal Degenerations
Genetic variants in PROM1 are associated with inherited blindness, but clinical phenotypes vary widely with currently no consensus on disease expectations or predicted patient outcomes. To address thi...
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Ctenophores Rock! @ctenophoresrock.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
As the two most-cited #ctenophore papers, Ryan et al (2013) won the race to publish the first genome (M. leidyi) while Moroz et al (2014) further provided evidence to support Ctenophora as the most basal animal lineage. Published in @science.org & @nature.com, respectively. #CtenophoreFunFacts 🦑
Taken from Ryan et al. (2013) https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1242592. Fig. 1 M. leidyi life history and anatomy.
(A) Adult M. leidyi (about 10 cm long). (B) Close-up view of comb rows. (C) Aboral view of cydippid stage. (D) One-celled fertilized embryo. (E to H) Early cleavage stages. (I) Gastrula stage. (J to M) Later development of M. leidyi embryo shown oral side down. Embryos are about 200 μm. See the supplementary materials for a more detailed description of the ctenophore body plan. [Photo credit for (A): courtesy of Bruno Vellutini]
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Dr Dorota SK @drdorotask.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Another moment of pride! 🎉 Emily Tom’s PhD work is finally published! Her work reveals a fascinating consequence of aging: plasma membrane damage increases, and lysosomes step in to repair the membrane and keep cells alive. Let us know what you think, and repost it! link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com
Lipid-driven membrane remodeling engages a lysosome-dependent adaptive repair program during retinal aging - Molecular Neurodegeneration
Age-associated remodeling of membrane lipid composition has been implicated in cellular dysfunction, yet the mechanisms linking lipid changes to membrane integrity and disease remain poorly defined. I...
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Dr. Brittany J. Carr @drbjcarr.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Nothing like leaving the office to the building lights turned off to relieve nostalgia of being a grad student/postdoc. Spooooky 👻
A long, darkned hallway with only a few safety lights illuimating it. There is a large shelf full of houseplants in the shadows.
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Dr. Brittany J. Carr @drbjcarr.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
I had so much fun. I can't wait until the next one!
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Dr. Brittany J. Carr @drbjcarr.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Making this my grant rebuttal and not elaborating any further. 🐸🧪
A simple black and white cartoon image of a hand holding a floppy, unimpressed looking frog. Text says, "YOU MUST ACCEPT THE FROG".
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Dr. Brittany J. Carr @drbjcarr.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
My Garmin is getting sent in for exchange so I'm back to regular watches for a bit. That's ok tho, because I haven't worn my newest fun watch very much yet.
A hunter green watch with yellow numbers on the bezel. The watch back showing off the automatic movement, with a picture of a nudibranch (sea slug).
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Xenbase @xenbase.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Dr. Helen Willsey, Associate Proffessor at the University of San Francisco shares her insights and experiences in an interview with Ingrid Tsang, Reviews Editor at Development. www.xenbase.org/xenbase/doNe... #science #devbio #cellbio #xenopus #frogs
The image shows a cartoon logo of a frog designed for the laboratory of Helen Willsey, Associate Professor at the University of California, San Francisco. Inset is a photo of Dr. Willsey herself wearing nitrile gloves holding a Xenopus frog in her aquatic animal facility. In the background is an image of the nervous system of a Xenopus frog tadpole visualized by fluorescence microscopy.
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Dr. Brittany J. Carr @drbjcarr.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Saw some wild turkeys from the chair lift. It was a beautiful ride.
A flock of wild turkeys on green grass. A pair of legs on a chair life above a green wooded ravine.
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Dr. Brittany J. Carr @drbjcarr.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Alright, do I prioritize the paper resubmission, the other paper initial submission, grant 1 which needs a near full write, or grant 2, which needs revisions. 😵‍💫🧪
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Xenbase @xenbase.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Lots of fantastic Xenopus research at the SDB meeting in Las Vegas. Consider publishing your research in the Society of Developmental Biology's official journal, Developmental Biology. Publication free for SDB members! www.sciencedirect.com/journal/deve... #science #devbio #cellbio #xenopus #frogs
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BWJones @bwjones.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
I've got a new chapter out, Insights Into Retinal Remodeling In Retinal Degenerative Disease: bryanwjones.com/2026/07/insi...
A cartoon figure showing a vertical section through retina with the red, green, and blue cone pathways, the rod pathway and the Müller glia illustrated.
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Dr. Brittany J. Carr @drbjcarr.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
It's been a while since I've taken my camera out. I accidentally chose some story board setting instead of sport mode. Behold, pride pelican! #birding
A photo of a pelican flying overhead. The sky is colored rainbow gradients instead of a normal blue sky.
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Xenbase @xenbase.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
12th Aquatic Models for Human Disease (AQMHD) Conference: October 17-21, 2026; Marine Biological Labratory; Woods Hole, Massachusetts Abstract submission deadline: August 10 www.xenbase.org/xenbase/doNe... #science #devbio #cellbio #xenopus #frogs #AQMHD2026
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Dr. Brittany J. Carr @drbjcarr.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
I love jasmine plants sometimes because even though you can barely underwater them and they might decide to up and die, you can also abuse them a fair bit: rip out their roots and cut them way back and they're like "yeah, I'll grow back and flower. No problem".
A sad cut down jasmine plant. There are only green sticks and no leaves left. A large pile of dead brown leaves. The same jasmine plant 2 week later with new growth and flowers.
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Christian Mosimann @chrmosimann.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
#2026SDB with amazing fluorescent imaging again. However, every session I attended so far has talks with red-green LUTs. 6-8% of us have color vision issues, especially for red-green. More visible color combos are easy to generate. As scientists, we can do better. 🧬🪰🐭🐟🧫🦎 #WeTheColorBlind #devbio
static.klipy.com
Rotating 'GREEN' Text in Red Circle
ALT: Rotating 'GREEN' Text in Red Circle
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Dr. Brittany J. Carr @drbjcarr.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
I'm trying a new coping mechanism where whenever my job upsets me or I get frustrated, I go to go to the gym and lift weights. The way things are going, I fully expect to look like this in about a year #science
John Cena (a very muscular man) dressed in a pink and purple frilly dress with a large bow in the front near the neck. He is also wearing a long blonde wig with yellow and pink flowers in his hair, and a small white cross-body handbag.
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Dr. Brittany J. Carr @drbjcarr.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
This Norfolk pine has been with me since Dec 2020. I just repotted it and sat it next to its original pot for comparison. Hoping for many more years with it 💚🌲
A small pine tree decorated with paper ornaments and fairy lights. It's sitting in a little white pig pot with orange and black accents. The pig pot is wearing a santa hat. A large pine tree in a white ceramic pot decorated with a wooden medallion with a pufferfish on it. It is sat next to the same small white piggy pot from the previous photo, which is now barely visible because it is so much smaller than the tree. There is a flatscreen tv and a small crocheted plant sitting on the tv stand next to the tree.
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Dr. Brittany J. Carr @drbjcarr.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
One thing about working with a unique model organism is that most animal ethics guidelines are based on mice or larger. So, now, CCAC wants us to list anticipated number of offspring from each breeding activity as part of research projects. Healthy frogs lay clutches of 10,000+ eggs, soooooo...🫣🐸
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Dr. Brittany J. Carr @drbjcarr.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
Walkies. We're so lucky to live here. 🌲
Two people walking through a green forest surrounded by large trees.
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Melina A. Agosto @agostolab.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Finally found some time to make a website of sorts. Better (five years) late than never!
agostolab.github.io
Welcome to the Agosto lab
Agosto Lab site
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Xenbase @xenbase.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
2026 Xenopus Researcher Survey - OPEN NOW - forms.gle/uDUkGCrhpXCc... Your feedback is highly valuable. Help us make Xenbase more helpful to your research! #science #devbio #cellbio #xenopus #frogs
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Dr. Brittany J. Carr @drbjcarr.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Yup. There's a lot of water in the river valley. There's an outlet/spillway in here somewhere.
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Andrew Simmonds 🇨🇦 @simmondlab.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Our head laboratory technican has worked at the University for 45+ years! They interviewed her for a local podcast. Take a listen if you want to hear about her long and successful career and all the changes she has witnessed personally over the past 4+ decades. www.spreaker.com/episode/s1e7...
spreaker.com
S1E7: Here For A Good Time AND A Long Time
Imagine walking into a research lab in 1980: no laptops, no automated kits, manual sequencing gels read entirely by eye, and a physical slide box for every sing
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Andrew Simmonds 🇨🇦 @simmondlab.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Here is the story of one of the U of Alberta - Department of Cell Biology's major projects for the last few years. Setting up a Stem Cell core laboratory in partnership with the Women and Children's Health Reserach Institute. ar.wchri.org/tiny-models-...
ar.wchri.org
Tiny models, big impact – Two Decades of Discovery, Generations of Impact
In the Stem Cell Core, human cell models help researchers study diseases and create personalized treatments to improve patient outcomes.
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Dr. Brittany J. Carr @drbjcarr.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Lovely micrograph of oil red o and toluidine blue staining in the liver, from one of the summer students in my lab.
A microscope image of liver cells labeled with a nuclei stain (blue) and a lipid stain (red). The green cells are red blood cells. The black spots are stain particulates.
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Dr. Brittany J. Carr @drbjcarr.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Plein air watercolor kit is a success! It's fun to see the differences between the reference/outdoors spot and the painting.
A watercolor painting of a beaver pond surrounded by green grass, trees, and bushes. There is a blue lake and a beaver lodge in the pond. A photo of the beaver pond that was the inspiration for the watercolor painting.
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Dr. Brittany J. Carr @drbjcarr.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Currently at this part of the manuscript discussion writing process.
An image of a crazed man smoking a cigarette and pointing at a wall filled with paper and strings attached them to show possible connections.
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Dr. Brittany J. Carr @drbjcarr.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
A quick sketch of some Scottish mountains from a youtube livestream to test my fully assembled plein air kit. I think its ready to go on walks with me. #sketchbook #urbansketching
A watercolour painting of a large green and grey mountain with some rustic, broken down fence posts in the foreground.
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Xenbase @xenbase.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
sorry, here are working links for the 2nd Asian Xenopus Conference: www.xenbase.org/xenbase/doNe... 2026.xenopus-asia.org #science #devbio #cellbio #xenopus #frogs
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Dr. Brittany J. Carr @drbjcarr.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
Set my balcony up all nice today, and then I drew it. I guess this sketchbook page could be called "views from home".
A page from a sketchbook with two paintings made from watercolor. The top painting is a tv surrounded by plants. The bottom painting is a view of a balcony surrounded by a large tree with white flowers. There are hanging lights, some flowers hanging from the railings, and a small table with a candle on it.
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Dr. Brittany J. Carr @drbjcarr.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Getting a bug stuck in my ear certainly wasn't how I envisioned ending my first outdoor bike ride of the year 😭😭😭 (I saw a dr, they got it out!)
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Diane Bovenkamp, PhD @dianebovenkamp.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
I’m proud that one of my images placed in #BaltimoreCameraClub digital competition. Called ‘Life Under The Bean,’ taken in Chicago. Look for 6 reflections of me waving ‘hello.’ www.baltimorecameraclub.org/ImageZo…
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Diane Bovenkamp, PhD @dianebovenkamp.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Excited to be giving a presentation to the Neuroscience Department at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville about @brightfocus.bsky.social funding opportunities and how we partner w others. Thanks to @drneurochic.bsky.social & Sandro Da Mesquita for inviting me. Looking forward to seeing you.
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Dr. Brittany J. Carr @drbjcarr.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
I need to do SEM so bad. I still haven't done it yet.
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Dr. Brittany J. Carr @drbjcarr.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
Found an old toy that I inherited from my grandpa. We used to call it a hologram maker. 🧪
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