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EMBL DB unit @embldbunit.bsky.social · 4h

🎓Congratulations to Gaurav Vaidya from the Vu @hanhtkvu.bsky.social and Dorrity @mwdorr.bsky.social groups @embl.org who has successfully defended his PhD thesis titled “Cellular drivers of reproductive plasticity uncovered by life-cycle trajectory inference” 🥳 #planarians #plasticity #lifecycle

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Ali Seleit @aliseleit.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Check out the preprint for more experiments and details. If you are interested in having the line please get in touch with Evo-Devo-Tempo Lab or Aulehla Lab. Huge thanks to everyone involved 🙏 @embldbunit.bsky.social @cibss.bsky.social @biologyunifreiburg.bsky.social @dfg.de

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EMBL DB unit @embldbunit.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

✨ At this week DB unit seminar @embl.org, Thomas Beavis, a PhD student in the Vincent group @floravincent.bsky.social presented his work on phytoplankton symbiosis #diatoms #symbyosis #marinebiology #DevBio

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EMBL @embl.org · 27/07/2026

European Researchers’ Night is returning to Heidelberg! On 25 Sept 2026, EMBL and Merck will host a Festival of Science and Curiosity on the EMBL Heidelberg campus, with hands-on science, lab tours, the Curiosity Cube™ mobile science lab, and activities for all ages. www.embl.org/news/connect...

embl.org

European Researchers’ Night 2026: A festival of science and curiosity | EMBL

EMBL and Merck are bringing back the European Researchers’ Night to Heidelberg on 25 September 2026, with activities for all ages.

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Marine Biological Laboratory @mblscience.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

DEADLINE 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

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EMBL DB unit @embldbunit.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Huge thanks to Iñaki Ruiz-Trillo for opening our Developmental Biology series 26/27 @embl.org. Iñaki showed us how studying our closest unicellular relatives is reshaping what we know about animal origins and why exploring the unknown is key to any field. We couldn't have asked for a better start! 🦠

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EMBL DB unit @embldbunit.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

🔥Congrats to Gaurav @gvaidya.bsky.social and Hanh Vu @hanhtkvu.bsky.social @embl.org on their first preprint! Using the planarian Phagocata morgani, they show that temperature acts like a switch controlling a stem cell pool that decides whether a worm remains asexual or develops new sexual organs 🪱

gvaidya.bsky.social

Gaurav Vaidya (@gvaidya.bsky.social)

PhD student in the Vu and Dorrity Labs at EMBL Heidelberg Developmental biologist

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EMBL DB unit @embldbunit.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

🎓Congratulations to Laura Rustarazo-Calvo @laura-rustarazo.bsky.social from the Petridou group @nicolettapetridou.bsky.social who has successfully defended her PhD thesis titled “Uncoupling adhesion- and density-driven rigidity transitions triggers epithelial organisation in embryonic tissues”

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Lena Schindler @lena-schindler.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

I am thrilled to share my PhD work with @nicolettapetridou.bsky.social @embl.org: www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/... A fun collaboration with Bernat Corominas-Murtra, Adrián Aguirre-Tamaral, @bart-smeets.bsky.social , Jef Vanghel and Tom Belpaire! Read the story in the comments below ⤵️

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Mike Dorrity @mwdorr.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

First pre-print from the lab, a collaborative effort led by Jess Bourn @bournsupremacy.bsky.social, a fantastic PhD in my group. We resolve a key problem in development + evolution: how do we quantify heterochrony and link temporal variation to phenotype? www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

biorxiv.org

Quantitative mapping of heterochrony to species-specific phenotypes

The genetic program of animal development is conserved, but its rate of execution varies across species. Heterochrony, shifts in the relative timing of developmental events, generates phenotypic varia...

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Laura Rustarazo-Calvo @laura-rustarazo.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Our beautiful mosaic embryo made it to the cover! 🔥

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Nicoletta Petridou @nicolettapetridou.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

A very pleasant surprise to see that we got the cover for this paper 🥳 @natphys.nature.com

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EMBL DB unit @embldbunit.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

✨ At the last DB unit unit seminar @embl.org, Jaroslav Ferenc @jarofrnc.bsky.social a postdoc in the Ikmi group @aikmi.bsky.social, showed how tissue-specific metabolic preferences drive developmental decisions #devbio #nematostella #devmetabolism

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EMBL DB unit @embldbunit.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

🎓 Congratulations to Kristina Mirkes from the Vu group @hanhtkvu.bsky.social @embl.org who has successfully defended her PhD thesis titled “Regulatory mechanisms of size-dependent growth dynamics in Schmidtea mediterranea” #DevelopmentalBiology #Planarian #PhDDefense #newdoctor

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Nicoletta Petridou @nicolettapetridou.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

Here the published version of our work on uncoupling different types of tissue phase transitions during development! Find out more on how contact surface tension-driven rigidity transitions trigger tricellular junction formation and initiate epithelial organization! @natphys.nature.com

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EMBL DB unit @embldbunit.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

✨At this week's DB unit seminar @embl.org, Serena Flori @serenaflori.bsky.social, a postdoc in the Vincent group @floravincent.bsky.social, presented her work on the structural basis of diatom responses to marine heatwaves. You can also check out her paper here: www.cell.com/current-biol...

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Nicoletta Petridou @nicolettapetridou.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

Glad to see this out in its final form! www.nature.com/articles/s41... What changed since the preprint? Wonderful experiments disentangling the effect of receptor binding vs tissue porosity on Nodal diffusion, plus one of the smoothest review experiences! Thanks @natcellbio.nature.com & reviewers 🙏

nature.com

Tissue rigidity phase transition shapes morphogen gradients - Nature Cell Biology

Autorino et al. report a feedback loop between Nodal signalling and tissue phase transitions in zebrafish embryos. Nodal alters adhesion, triggering tissue rigidification and reduced porosity, which l...

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EMBL DB unit @embldbunit.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

✨ This week, Nikki Cannon, a PhD student in the van Gestel group @jordivangestel.bsky.social, presented her work on creating an end-to-end assembly and annotation pipeline for Dictyostelids at the DB unit seminar @embl.org

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Thomas Lecuit @thomaslecuit.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

Many thanks @nicolettapetridou.bsky.social from @embl.org Heidelberg for visiting us @centuri-ls.bsky.social and giving a truly exciting talk on cell division timing and phase transition during embryogenesis 🤩! Developmental biology is really cool 😎

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EMBL DB unit @embldbunit.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

🔥New work from the Crocker group @justinmcrocker.bsky.social @embl.org on the mechanistic and evolutionary basis of dominance from cis-regulatory variation in Drosophila Congratulations to Noa @ottilie.bsky.social and all the authors 🥳

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EMBL DB unit @embldbunit.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

🔥New paper from the Ikmi group @aikmi.bsky.social @embl.org who discovered a "secret" second valve in Nematostella vectensis that acts as a pressure release system. Congratulations to all the authors 🥳

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EMBL DB unit @embldbunit.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

✨ At this week's DB Unit Seminar @embl.org , Levin Riedel, a phD student in the Ikmi group @aikmi.bsky.social, presented his work on the effects of neuropeptides on morphogenesis and development of Nematostella vectensis larvae and polyps.

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EMBL DB unit @embldbunit.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

✨ At this week's DB seminar @embl.org, Jlenia Vitale, a postdoc in the Petridou group @nicolettapetridou.bsky.social, presented her work on the interplay between cell-cell adhesion and mitochondrial activity during tissue phase transitions in Zebrafish and killifish embryos 🐟🔬#DevelopmentalBiology

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EMBL DB unit @embldbunit.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

🔥 Fantatstic work by Antonella Ruggiero and colleagues @embl.org and @szndohrn.bsky.social that opens new doors to understanding the decision-making mechanisms of phytoplankton and the hidden complexity of single-celled life in our oceans #Diatoms #DevelopmentalBiology #SingleCellRNA #Phytoplankton

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EMBL Events @events.embl.org · 26/03/2026

Apart from learning, there are also important (and fun) networking activities going on at #EESBioOsc. #SciencePubQuiz

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Kirsty Wan @micromotility.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

When conference participants take part in a human experiment... How to get a group of humans to spontaneously synchronize their walking behaviours in the absence of "leaders" (watch out for the one who was attempting to cheat the system!) What are the most important cues here? 😏 #EESBioOsc

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EMBL Events @events.embl.org · 25/03/2026

Happening now: poster session at #EESBioOsc. Lots of interesting discussions.. who will win the poster prize? 🧬🔬

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MadScientist @mads100tist.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

Are you a postdoc in the job market? Do you have a cool story in the making? You forgot to have lunch and just run your gel backwards? You can't sleep because of the prospect of applying to 100 places and getting two replies only? Apply! 🧪🐟https://www.germanfishmeeting.org/from-postoc-to-pi

germanfishmeeting.org

From Postoc to PI Session | German Fish Meeting

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EMBL DB unit @embldbunit.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

Exciting news 🎉 Ali, who has been a postdoc in the Aulehla group @embl.org, is heading off to an incredible next chapter. Congratulations Ali on your Emmy-Noether funded group leader position at the Faculty of Biology at the University of Freiburg. We are so proud to have had you with us!

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EMBL DB unit @embldbunit.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

✨ At last week's DB Unit Seminar @embl.org, Camilla Autorino @cami-autorino.bsky.social, a postdoc in the Petridou Group @nicolettapetridou.bsky.social, presented her work on how tissue rigidity phase transition shapes morphogen gradients in zebrafish embryos 🐟🔬

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Flora Vincent @floravincent.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

Hard to think the EMBO/EMBL symposium on the cellular mechanics of #symbiosis is already over @embl.org. Some personal scientific heroes in there, and a very unique collegial and open minded vibe (and great dancers💃🏻 ) #EESSymbiosis Wonderful way to reconnect with science after 🐣! #womeninscience

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Hassan Salem @hassansalem.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

That’s a wrap on our Mechanics of Symbiosis meeting in Heidelberg 🎉 Had an amazing time organizing this with @berasymbionts.bsky.social, @floravincent.bsky.social & Tom Richards. Safe trip home everyone! #EESSymbiosis @events.embl.org

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EMBL DB unit @embldbunit.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

🔥Exciting new paper from the Ikmi group @embl.org! The authors identified a set of mesoscale mechanical modules that can be used to predict species-specific shapes by combining a comparative analysis of cnidarian larval morphogenesis with active surface theory #morphogenesis #cnidaria

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EMBL DB unit @embldbunit.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

✨ At this week's DB seminar @embl.org, Laura Sanchis Pla, a PhD student in the van Gestel group, presented her research on the defense strategies of bacteria in response to protistan predation. She explored the diverse life-history decisions that bacteria make to survive in natural environments.

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EMBL DB unit @embldbunit.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

✨In the DB unit seminar this week, Amrutha Palavalli, a postdoc in the Vu @hanhtkvu.bsky.social group @embl.org, presented a new approach to studying the life history evolution and identifying the trade-offs of the flatworm Schmidtea mediterranea #planarians #sciRNAseq

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Nicoletta Petridou @nicolettapetridou.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

We have extended the abstract deadline by a week! Looking forward to seeing you many of you here!

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EMBL DB unit @embldbunit.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

✨At this week's DB seminar @embl.org , Alvin Han, a postdoc in the Arendt group, presented his work on the variation of microbiome and symbioses of Platynereis species across European coastlines 🪱 #TREC #microbiome

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EMBL Events @events.embl.org · 27/02/2026

And just like that, #EESCollectivity is done! These last four days just flew by and we want to thank every participant, speaker, and organiser for making the first edition of the EMBO | EMBL Symposium 'Collectivity in living systems' such a success. We hope to see you at another event soon! 👋

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Nicoletta Petridou @nicolettapetridou.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

Less than a week left for abstract submission for #EESMechanobiology - join us in this long-standing meeting on the mechanics of life.

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EMBL DB unit @embldbunit.bsky.social · 21/02/2026

✨This week at the DB unit seminar @embl.org, Paco Majic Bergara @hhydrochaerus.bsky.social, a Crocker group postdoc, presented his project on how developmental noise across different scales, from genotype to phenotype, has the potential to affect evolutionary trajectories.

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EMBL DB unit @embldbunit.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

✨ At this week's DB seminar, Silvia Zanna, a PhD student from the Ikmi group @aikmi.bsky.social @embl.org , presented her work on the characterisation and function of migratory cells in Nematostella vectensis #cnidarian #develepmentalbiology #migration

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Pauli Group (posts by Andi Pauli) @pauligroup.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

Switching fields or wanting to become an expert in #zebrafish research? The @mblscience.bsky.social 2026 Zebrafish Development & Genetics course offers a fantastic opportunity to learn from leaders in the field! Application deadline: March 2 Please spread the word! www.mbl.edu/education/ad...

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Development @dev-journal.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

For International Day of Women and Girls in Science, #IDWGS2026, we are featuring some of our 'Transitions in development' interviewees from the past year. Browse our full series here: journals.biologists.com/dev/collecti...

journals.biologists.com

Transitions in development | Development | The Company of Biologists

In this series of interviews, we feature principal investigators (PIs) within the first five or so years of establishing their own research group. Through

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International Society of Developmental Biology @isdb.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

A fantastic line up of speakers! Register is now open.

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EMBO @embo.org · 11/02/2026

Happy International Day of Women and Girls in Science! 🧪 Don't forget to send in your nominations for the FEBS | EMBO #WomenInScience Award. Deadline: 15 May Read more: www.embo.org/the-embo-communities/f… #award

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Bardin Lab @bardinlab.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

Very last chance to join us (Deadline tomorrow Feb 10!) at this Developmental Biology meeting! Have a nice story? Come and discuss it with editors from @embojournal.org @plosbiology.org and @dev-journal.bsky.social ! A one hour info session from @erc.europa.eu will also be presented!

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