iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 19/09/2026

We just spent two days talking science, building lab culture, tie-dying t-shirts, telling spooky stories, making smores, and stargazing! #LabRetreat #MatsuLab @mattakamatsu.bsky.social @minismk.bsky.social @atsushimatsuda.bsky.social @valeriebenti.com

Atsushi, Matt, Semin, Abhi and Valerie pose with their custom tie-dye t-shirts on a beach during the lab retreat.

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(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 20/08/2026

Congratulations to our own @atsushimatsuda.bsky.social on a fabulous new method accurately measuring 3D cellular membrane curvature from cryo-electron tomograms! @minismk.bsky.social, @ctleelab.bsky.social Interactive explainer: matsulabuw.github.io/mem-pinn/ reader.openrxivlabs.org/content/10.6...

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(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 13/06/2026

Congratulations to Kenny Vo, who has brought is computer sciences skills to our lab for the last year, kept us on track with our code, and always knew the best anime to watch! We'll miss you, Kenny! #UWGraduate 🎓✨🎉

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(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 12/06/2026

Congratulations to our newly graduated Benjamin Brown, we'll miss your mathematical brain, rigorous questions, and book/movie ratings! Can't wait to see all the Awesomeness you'll get up to in grad school! ✨🎉🎓

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(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 13/05/2026

Grad student Maggie gave an excellent flash talk today about how failure is an essential part of learning and becoming a well-rounded scientist. How can we create a classroom and lab culture that helps students acknowledge and learn through failure?

Maggie presents a slide with the text:
How can we productively acknowledge failure in the classroom? What would it look like if students learned...
... that rewards can come from mistakes?
... that failure is not only inevitable but essential?
... that mistakes are made by everyone?

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(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 13/03/2026

We're excited to be at the Northwest Developmental Biology Meeting #NWDB2026 at #FridayHarbor. Such an amazing range of research happening in the PNW, and we've enjoyed hearing from such a wise range of scientists at different stages of their career!

Maggie and Valerie pose in front of a projection screen showing the conference name

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(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 13/03/2026

Wondering what the role of actin in CLIC/GEEC endocytic scission is? Well, Maggie is here to tell you how we're going to find out! #NWDB2026

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Reposted by (aka)Matsu lab

Atsushi Matsuda @atsushimatsuda.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

Honored to be one of the Moore Foundation Postdoctoral Fellows at @uofwa.uw.edu. Grateful for the support from @moorefound.bsky.social and excited to pursue research applying computer vision to cellular membrane reconstruction @matsulab.com.

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(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 10/12/2025

Team "My Brain is a Sandwich" was feeling really great about their impromptu bar trivia answers at our end-of-the-quarter happy hour! We didn't win, but we had a great time!

The MatsuLab members having a happy our at Stoup brewing

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(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 28/08/2025

Lab lunch/Goodbye lunch. We're sad to see you go, Emma, and excited for you as you go out into the world! Featuring: Fred pointing and also some tiny pigs on the table. #PassThePigs

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(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 26/08/2025

It was wonderful wonderful to join Hanna' graduation party and meet her friends and family. Hanna was the first undergraduate to join our lab more than two years ago! Congratulations, Hanna! 🎉🥂

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(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 21/06/2025

Our outies don't know we're doing this. #LabRetreat

The Matsulab smiles in front of the Seattle skyline. Tall people are squatting in the front, and shorter folks are in the back row.

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(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 14/06/2025

Congratulations to our newly graduated Biology Majors Emma and Hanna! 🙌🏼🎉🎆 #UWGraduation @uwbiology.bsky.social

Selfie of the Akamatsu Lab! Matt, Emma, and Hanna are wearing regalia. Hanna and Emma are holding flowers. Everyone is smiling in the sun.

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(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 04/06/2025

When the PIs color coordinate for bowling... @claudiaraudia.bsky.social

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(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 30/05/2025

Congrats Emma Koves and Benjamin Brown on a terrific poster at the Undergraduate Research Symposium !!

Hanna, Emma, Matt, Ben, and Aadarsh in front of a poster titled "Effects of Arp2/3 Complex Distributions of Endocytosis in Simulation

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(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 24/04/2025

Celebrating Matt's (belated) birthday with a cake and candle that is fire safe! 🎂🔥🎉

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Reposted by (aka)Matsu lab

Tina Termini @cterminiphd.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

The Termini Lab at Fred Hutch in Seattle is recruiting a Lab Aide to join our group - more information and instructions to apply can be found at the posting below 👇🧫👇🔬👇🐁 careers-fhcrc.icims.com/jobs/29265/l...

careers-fhcrc.icims.com

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

Fred Hutch is dedicated to the elimination of cancer and related diseases as causes of human suffering and death.

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(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 12/02/2025

Grad student Abhishek presented his research on using an integrated approach to study load adaptation of actin networks in endocytosis at the MBTG talks today! 👏

Abhi gives a presentation titled "An Integrated Approach to Study Load Adaptation by Endocytic Actin Networks". Along with the title, logos for UW biology and the Akamatsu Lab can be seen on the first slide.

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(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 07/01/2025

Kicking off the new year pondering about our goals and priorities for this year using rocks, pebbles, and sand. #RocksPebblesSand #MatsuLab #GroupMeeting #AcademicLife

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(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 16/12/2024

Sunday's poster session at #ASCB2024 allegedly featured 3D printed protein models, matsulab stickers, and engaging discussion! Congrats, Abhi! @ascbiology.bsky.social

Abhishek and Matt smiling in front of Abhishek's poster

Abhishek points to his poster at the cell biology conference using a 3D printed model of an actin filament capped with capping protein.

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(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 27/11/2024

Pizza, "Down the Ave," and good company! 👾

The MatsuLab smiles sitting around a table with a card game, pizza boxes, and drinks.
FLTR: Matt, Atsushi, Valerie, Maggie, Aadarsh, Abishek, Ben, Hanna and Emma

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(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 01/08/2024

New lab mascot, maybe? (Yes, we already have stickers made!) #ActinArchitect #3DPrinting #GooglyEyes #LabLife

A 3D printed actin with googly eyes end a little yellow construction hat on its "head".

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(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 01/08/2024

Yesterday was a perfect day for "beta kayactin" and drinks with the Termini Lab! #MatsuLab #TerminiLab #AkaMini

Members of the MatsuLab and Termini Lab on a dock wearing life vests after kayaking.

Members of the MatsuLab on a dock wearing life vests after kayaking.

Members of the MatsuLab and Termini Lab kayaking in Union Bay with Mount Ranier in the background.

Members of the MatsuLab and Termini Lab at a happy hour.

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(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 16/05/2024

Congratulations to Abhishek for successfully passing his general exam! #MatsuLab's first PhC and we couldn't be more proud! 🍾🍰🥼

Abhi, Maggie, Valerie, and Matt cheer with red cups over a table full of snacks to celebrate the occasion!

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(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 06/05/2024

First #MatsuLab poster presented by @valeriebenti.com at the ISCRM Stem Cell Symposium last week!

Valerie stands next to a poster with the title "Gene-edited hiPSC-derived lumenoids for imaging endocytic dynamics in a 3D environment.

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(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 14/03/2024

#TBT to a recent lab lunch where we got to welcome our new lab member Emma!

Lab members Hanna, Valerie, Emma, Maggie, and Abhi sit around a table with Vietnamese food.

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(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 14/03/2024

Congratulations to #MastuLab member Danish, who presented his capstone project on Tuesday and is graduating today! 🎉🥳

Danish stands next to his capstone project poster titled "Analyzing cell morphology in response to immune stimuli"

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Reposted by (aka)Matsu lab

(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 05/02/2024

Fueling our research with some falafel! (The crooked photo is to commemorate a crooked table 🙃) #MatsuLab #LabLunch

Six MatsuLab members sit around a red picnic table having lunch.

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(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 05/02/2024

Fueling our research with some falafel! (The crooked photo is to commemorate a crooked table 🙃) #MatsuLab #LabLunch

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(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 23/01/2024

Presents from Pakistan to keep our noggins warm!

The MatsuLab members wear a traditional Pakistani hat during group meeting.

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(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 18/01/2024

Meet our most recent lab equipment name updates! Our cloning platform and microscope hub: Bonney & Clyde Our Biosafety Cabinets: Lil & Phil [1/2]

A microscope with a label showing a cell wearing a fedora hat and googley eyes named "Clyde"

A laboratory instrument with above it a little sign with a cell wearing a beret and googley eyes, named "Bonney"

A sign with a little cell with three strands of hair like Phil from the Rugrats and googley eyes.

A sign with a little cell with three strands of hair and a pink bow like Lil from the Rugrats and googley eyes.

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(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 23/12/2023

Sometimes, you just have to be your own Santa. @valeriebenti.com , Maggie, and Jonathan went on an adventure yesterday to pick up a piece of equipment, and would like to thank airtags, views of Mt. Ranier, and NOT the delivery service for their involvement.

Valerie is smiling, Jonathan is holding a box and smiling to, and Maggie is throwing up her arms in joy. In the background, we see a suburban neighborhood and a little piece of a delivery truck.

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(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 18/12/2023

In-action pictures from our #LabRetreat on Saturday!

Matsulab members sitting on the floor in a brainstorming session with post its on a roll of white paper.

matsulab members sit around a virtual screen

matsulab members sitting on the floor and talking

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(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 18/12/2023

We could not get enough of the beautiful sunset! Even the lab members that could not attend got to enjoy it ! #MatsuLab #LabRetreat

Selfie of the MatsuLab members in front of the Space Needle at sunset

Post-its with stick figure drawings of the absent lab members, with the space needle in the background

Seattle Sunset, with a view on the Space Needle

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(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 18/12/2023

We had a wonderful time at our #LabRetreat, looking back, looking ahead, and looking at a beautiful view of the Space Needle!

The MatsuLab Members pose with the Seattle Space Needle in the Background.

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(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 30/11/2023

The Akamatsu lab was founded in 2022. Around 1300, Akamatsu Norimura built a temporary fort on the hill that would eventually become Himeji Castle. New and Old meet during @valeriebenti.com's travels!

A water bottle with a Akamatsu-lab sticker is held up with Himeji Castle in the background.

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(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 30/11/2023

Success! The MatsuLab escaped from Locurio's "The Storykeeper" with 28 seconds to spare! 😅 And had an amazing time doing so. 🍄🌳🪺

The MatsuLab team in front of a mysterious book case at the Locurio escape rooms.

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(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 27/10/2023

We had a great time playing card/board games this week! Digging for gold, sabotage, and intrigue, we had it all!

The MatsuLab members sit around a table playing a game.

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(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 17/10/2023

A happy accident leading to a pretty picture. The caption is in the picture too! #LabLife #Bubbles By @valeriebenti.com

Several copper-colored bubbles of different colors. In the middle of two bubbles near the lower left corner, you can see the handwritten word "bubbles" reflected.

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(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 11/10/2023

Don't think we didn't kick off the quarter without mustaches, we just forgot to take a group picture! Luckily, there's a screenshot to prove it happened! #MustacheMeeting #MatsuLab #HybridMeeting

The MatsuLab group members sit around a meeting table wearing fake mustaches. In the side corner, one lab member is joining the meeting remotely.

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(aka)Matsu lab @matsulab.com · 07/09/2023

Hi everyone! We're a new lab at the University of Washington that studies how cells use the actin cytoskeleton to push and pull on their membranes during endocytosis. The lab combines computational modeling with CRISPR engineering of human stem cells and fluorescence microscopy.

Simulated model of an endocytotic event, with actin in yellow, linkers are red, Arp2/3 in pink.

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