Sign in

Stephanie Woo

@itsthewoolab.bsky.social
1.2K followers 427 following 138 posts

Associate professor at the University of California Merced. Posts are my own. My lab uses zebrafish to study morphogenesis of the endoderm. It's offal-y interesting.

PostsRepliesMedia
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
@qsb-uc-merced.bsky.social students Aaliyah Ruiz-Corral and Jesselynn LaBelle presented at last week’s Santa Cruz Developmental Biology conference. Thanks to the #SCDB26 organizers for a fantastic meeting, as always.
Aaliyah Ruiz-Corral standing next to her poster. Jesselynn LaBelle standing next to her poster. Stephanie Woo and Aaliyah Ruiz-Corral standing next to Aaliyah’s poster.
051
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
First visit to @kitp-ucsb.bsky.social ✅ Thanks again to the #morpho26 organizers for the invitation. The Morphogenesis Beach Tour continues with #SCDB26. See y’all soon! 😎
Image of a conference room with beach, ocean, and palm trees visible through the windows. My husband thinks this look AI generated but I promise it’s 100% real. A brown coffee mug with a label sticker that says “WOO”
0181
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
But first we had to pay our respects
A bust of Hans Spemann
050
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
And a shout out to the incomparable Eric Davidson
A presentation slide with a quote from Eric Davidson, “We are now in a position to answer questions that have bedeviled biologists since Spemann” and an illustration of Davidson as a Simpsons character.
000
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
@stefanmaterna.bsky.social giving the alumni talk at the @uni-freiburg.de biology symposium and repping #endoderm #zebrafish and @ucmerced.bsky.social
Stefan Materna introducing his presentation titled “How the Endoderm Finds Its Form”A flyer advertising the Biology Faculty Day and Summer Symposium at the University of Freiburg
140
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
Congratulations to joint Woo and @stefanmaterna.bsky.social labs grad student Po-Shu on a successful PhD defense! Well done, Dr. Tu! #zebrafish #phdone
Photo of Dr. Po-Shu Tu standing in front of a screen introducing his PhD defense presentationPhoto of a cake decorated with an image of a zebrafish embryo and the message “Congratulations Po-Shu!”
2150
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
Also, super excited for any excuse to break out my finest Burnt Orange. 🤘🧡
Screenshot from a zoom meeting showing Stephanie Woo wearing a burnt orange University of Texas sweatshirt with a background photo of the El Paso skyline behind her.
020
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
Congrats to Woo Lab and @ucmerced.bsky.social undergrad Emily Le for winning Best Poster for Physiological and Developmental Biology at the West Coast Bio Sciences Undergrad Research Conference!!
190
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
It was such a pleasure serving on Raeden’s @rae-day.bsky.social thesis committee and seeing her grow as a scientist. The celebratory shot of coconut rum didn’t hurt.
Dr. Raeden Gray is smiling and holding up a bottle of coconut rum.
0101
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
I had to adjust the blinds in my office! I forgot I have blinds!
110
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 13/12/2025
Judges were on our side!
020
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
The Woo and Materna Labs have weighed in on the “Is Die Hard a Christmas Movie” debate
260
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
Jaxson Ramirez, an undergrad, performed the @hcrimaging.bsky.social fluorescent in situs of EphA expression. We wish him best of luck as he starts pharmacy school at UCSD! 3/6
120
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
Finally, we used a combination of transcriptomics, pharmacological inhibition, and CRISPR gene editing to show that endodermal cells are likely using EphA receptors to recognize each other and initiate CIL. Please have a read and tell us what you think! 9/9
040
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
We experimentally validated the model’s predictions by using DN RhoA expression to block CIL, which caused endodermal cells to form irregular clumps. Notably, first author Jesselynn LaBelle developed a way to quantify these irregular patterns using Voronoi analysis and Delaunay triangulation. 8/9
140
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
A molecular hallmark of CIL is activation of the small GTPase RhoA. Indeed, when we expressed a dominant-negative RhoA, we saw attenuated endodermal CIL responses. 4/9
130
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
We noticed that during dispersal, endodermal cells seem to actively avoid each other. Cell collisions consistently triggered a set of responses, including membrane retraction and reorientation of the leading edge, that is characteristic of contact inhibition of locomotion (CIL). 3/9
140
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
New paper alert! We report that #zebrafish endodermal cells use contact inhibition of locomotion as a dispersal and spacing mechanism. It’s a neat example of large-scale patterns emerging from local interactions using a simple set of rules. Summary in the thread below 1/9 doi.org/10.1016/j.is...
23811
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 18/08/2025
3/3 And last but not least, thank you to everyone who presented at the talks and poster sessions! With gratitude, Your #wcsdb2025 Organizers Frank, Jaimie & Stephanie 🍻
The 2025 West Coast Society for Developmental Biology organizers, from left to right, Frank Macabenta, Jaimie Van Norman, and Stephanie Woo
130
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 18/08/2025
1/3 Thank you to everyone who attended the West Coast Society for Developmental Biology #wcsdb2025 meeting this weekend! Beyond all the cool science presented (and boy howdy, there was plenty!), it was a joy to see all the connections made, both old and new, in our dev bio community.
Flyer for the 2025 West Coast Society for Developmental Biology meeting, held August 14-17 at Cal-Poly in San Luis Obispo, CA. The meeting was sponsored by the Society for Developmental Biology, Parse Biosciences, Molecular Instruments, and Nikon.
1123
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 17/08/2025
Strong showing of @ucmerced.bsky.social students and alumni at the West Coast Society for Developmental Biology meeting! And congrats to I-BEST REU student Abigail Hart for winning 3rd place for best undergrad poster presentation! #wcsdb2025
A group of people from UC Merced attending the 2025 West Coast Society for Developmental Biology meetingA young woman displaying the card representing her win for third place for undergraduate poster presentation
040
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 01/08/2025
It’s been a pleasure hosting #NSF REU student Abigail Hart in our lab this summer! Abby and all the other summer students are truly our next generation of scientists. Here’s hoping these training programs continue to receive the support they deserve!
030
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 28/07/2025
Last day to register for the 2025 West Coast SDB meeting is this Thursday, July 31! www.sdbonline.org/wcsdb2025 #wcsdb2025
032
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 13/07/2025
What is this anti-vertebrate propaganda?
Photo of a child standing in front of a sign saying “Butterfly Pavillion No Spines Open Hearts”
020
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 04/07/2025
Just a reminder that the abstract deadline for a short talks at the West Coast SDB meeting is coming up next week! Links to abstract submission, registration, and the preliminary program can be found here: www.sdbonline.org/wcsdb2025 #wcsdb2025
Flyer for the 2025 West Coast Society for Developmental Biology regional meeting, taking place August 14–17 at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, California. Registration and more info: sdbonline.org/wcsdb2025. There is a QR code that links directly the to meeting website.
0126
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 26/06/2025
On behalf of my social media-less husband: Congratulations to Dr. Gloria Ligunas, a first for the Materna Lab!!! And many thanks to Panaderia Guadalajara for the custom cake!
A cake with a schematic of DNA bar codes, a 1 cell-stage zebrafish embryo, and the message “Congratulations, Gloria!”Dr. Gloria Ligunas standing next to a slide with the Lewis Wolpert quote “It is not birth, marriage, or death, but gastrulation which is truly the most important time of your life.”
2131
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 30/05/2025
Website and registration will open soon for the West Coast SDB meeting, Aug 14–17 at Cal-Poly SLO! Abstract deadline for talks is July 7. Final deadline for abstracts (posters) and registration is July 31. We will have prizes for best undergrad, grad, and post doc presentations! #wcsdb2025 1/4
12618
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 17/05/2025
Today is commencement at UC Merced. Congratulations to Woo Lab undergrad Jaxson Ramirez! Jaxson has been our HCR Wunderkind. We will miss him but are excited for his next chapter. 🎉
A person standing next to a research poster presentation.
040
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 07/03/2025
Beautiful day for some collective action #standupforscience
A group of people at a Stand Up for Science rally under a sunny, blue sky
0201
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
My view from lab for the next few weeks. Thanks so much to the @streichan.bsky.social lab for hosting me!
0120
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 16/12/2024
Little L enjoying the children’s playroom at #cellbio2024
040
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 10/11/2024
Congrats to the UC Merced men’s soccer team, 2024 Cal Pac champions!
030
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 26/09/2024
Good people of Merced, the Woo Lab will be proselytizing for #zebrafish and #devbio @KiDSMerced this Sunday from 1-3 pm. Admission is free!
051
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 17/09/2024
Authors: Only endoderm blastomeres display blebbing My brain: What about the TLC cells? Do they creep?
100
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 18/06/2024
Congratulations to Jesselynn LaBelle for passing her qualifying exam and to Po-Shu Tu for receiving a Mackenzie Scott travel award!
010
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 16/05/2024
An entire day thinking and talking about all things cytoskeleton! Thank you to the organizers of the Bay Area Cytoskeleton Symposium. It was a huge honor to be one of this year's keynote speakers. And I was proud of the strong turn out from UC Merced students and researchers.
031
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 02/01/2024
A good chunk of our family vacations is visiting campus turtle ponds
140
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 19/12/2023
Congratulations to grad student Po-Shu Tu for passing his qualifying exam! @qsb-uc-merced.bsky.social
020
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 30/10/2023
Also, the flk:gfp line originally provided by the Stainier Lab is still kickin it
030
Stephanie Woo @itsthewoolab.bsky.social · 29/10/2023
I had a chance to visit the Exploratorium and learn about how they’re using #zebrafish in science outreach. Also happy to help correct their typos 😉
060