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Rory Cooper

@rorylcooper.bsky.social
3.8K followers 2.8K following 109 posts

Evo-devo biologist investigating the emergence of patterns in diverse embryos. Research Fellow at the University of Sheffield 🐊 🦈 🐥 linktr.ee/rorylcooper

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Reposted by Rory Cooper
epithelial mechanics fan club @epimechfc.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Milinkovitch, M. C., Jahanbakhsh, E., & Zakany, S. (2023). The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Reaction Diffusion in Vertebrate Skin Color Patterning. Annual Review of Cell and Developmental Biology, 39(1), 145–174. #EpithelialMechanicsReview www.annualreviews.org/content/jour...
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The Milinkovitch-Tzika lab @lanevol.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
How mammals get their fur? New research from the Milinkovitch-Tzika lab, published in PNAS, shows that chemotaxis—cells moving toward chemical cues—drives hair follicle precursor self-organization during embryonic development, generating diverse fur patterns across mammals. doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
doi.org
Chemotactic self-organization captures the dynamics of mammalian hair follicle patterning | PNAS
The spatial patterning of mammalian hair follicle precursors in embryonic skin is most commonly studied in the laboratory mouse (Mus musculus), whe...
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Reposted by Rory Cooper
James Briscoe @jamesbriscoe.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Five toed chicken anyone? Nice work from @matt-towers.bsky.social & co on reconstructing the evolutionary pathway to digit loss in birds
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Rory Cooper @rorylcooper.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Check out this new work from the Towers lab to learn how avian digit patterns can be transformed into mammalian-like patterns! 🔬🐣🧪 @matt-towers.bsky.social Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvL_... Preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
youtube.com
Transforming Avian to Mammalian Modes of Digit Patterning
YouTube video by Matteo de la Torre
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Matt Towers @matt-towers.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Pleased to share our latest! We show that the chick limb can be directed to recapitulate key stages in mammalian evolution, providing a unifying model for digit patterning across amniotes. Preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... Video summary: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvL_...
biorxiv.org
Transforming avian to mammalian modes of digit patterning
How a conserved embryonic organiser-the Sonic hedgehog (Shh)-expressing Zone of Polarising Activity (ZPA)-generates diverse limb architectures in amniotes remains a central problem in evolutionary and...
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Reposted by Rory Cooper
Giulia Paci @giuliapaci.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
It was fun to contribute to @dev-journal.bsky.social “In preprints” series and cover this beautiful preprint on mechanics and epithelial multilayering - check it out!
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Rory Cooper @rorylcooper.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Having a lovely and inspiring time at #EED26!
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Rory Cooper @rorylcooper.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
Having a lovely time using the incredible imaging facilities at @clf-stfc.bsky.social 🦈🔬
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The Milinkovitch-Tzika lab @lanevol.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
Charles Darwin comes back to life to wish Sir David Attenborough a happy 100th birthday. Our 3.5-min film from the LANE (University of Geneva) celebrates "the man who helped the world fall in love with nature". Happy #AttenboroughDay ! #bbc @biology-unige.bsky.social
youtu.be
An extraordinary guest to celebrate Sir David Attenborough
YouTube video by The LANE channel
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Reposted by Rory Cooper
Berta Verd @bertaverd.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
New Pre-Print Alert! Evolving initial conditions: an alternative developmental route to morphological diversity with Shannon Taylor and @jamesehammond.bsky.social www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
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Sude Uyulgan @sudeuyulgan.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
How do you build the posterior end of a body? 🧫🔬🧬 I am excited to share that my PhD work on the generation of hindlimb and genital progenitors from human pluripotent stem cells is now available on BioRxiv! 🔗 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
biorxiv.org
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Alex Neaverson @alexneaverson.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
I illustrated my way through the @bsdb.bsky.social Spring Meeting a couple weeks ago - here's my illustrated summary of the conference! I sketched (almost) all the speakers and glimpses of the science that made it such a great few days.
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Parichy Lab | Dave Parichy @dparichy.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
Pleased to announce two new publications, in Current Biology and PNAS, from outstanding postdoc Delai (Dylan) Huang, just a week before he leaves to start his new faculty position at Zhejiang University.
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Luke Dunning @luketdunning.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
Come and join us!! www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DQZ547/r...
jobs.ac.uk
Research Associate - Plant Phylogenomics at University of Sheffield
Apply for the Research Associate - Plant Phylogenomics role on jobs.ac.uk, the top job board for academic positions in higher education. View details and apply now.
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Aissam Ikmi @aikmi.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
Our study on shape diversity in cnidarians is now published. The final version includes extensive new data that substantially extend the original bioRxiv preprint. Congrats to everyone who contributed to this work! www.cell.com/cell/fulltex... @embl.org
cell.com
Deciphering mechanical determinants of morphological evolution
A comparative analysis of cnidarian larval morphogenesis combined with active surface theory identifies a set of mesoscale mechanical modules that predict species-specific shapes. Manipulating these m...
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Parichy Lab | Dave Parichy @dparichy.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
We have a postdoc position available. Please forward to anyone who may be interested.
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MwahahahahahadScientist @mads100tist.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
Reminder that I will be speaking this Wednesday about my postdoc work. You have been warned. 🧪
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Rory Cooper @rorylcooper.bsky.social · 16/02/2026
If you're looking for a postdoc in developmental/evo-devo biology, check out this position with @matt-towers.bsky.social @drn-sheffield.bsky.social @sheffielduni.bsky.social ! Great lab, great university and great city! 🐣 🔬
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Rory Cooper @rorylcooper.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
Had a lovely time talking about skin appendage development at @bangoruniversity.bsky.social - thanks for hosting @johnmulley.bsky.social! 🐊 🔬
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Rory Cooper @rorylcooper.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
Check out this postdoc opportunity in a great lab in Sheffield! 🐣🔬
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Reposted by Rory Cooper
Elizabeth Manning @emmanning.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
Excited to finally share the final/final.doc version of our paper. It's been a journey, but very proud of the result. Well done to all involved, especially @elsieplace.bsky.social @kchinnaiya.bsky.social , @thomasdwkim.bsky.social, @sethblackshaw.bsky.social 👏👏 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Resolving forebrain developmental organisation by analysis of differential growth patterns - Nature Communications
Experiments on the embryonic chick brain reveal distinct directional growth patterns and a tripartite hypothalamus, challenging the classic segmented prosomere model and offering an updated view of ho...
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The Milinkovitch-Tzika lab @lanevol.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
Turn scientific data into tangible objects! Some of our 3D models can be downloaded or ordered as 3D prints at low cost (resin + delivery only). Ideal for teaching, research discussions, or showcasing developmental biology. www.lanevol.org/visual-media... #3DPrinting #ScienceEducation #OpenScience
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Franze Lab @franzelab.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
Paper alert: Our study led by @evapillai.bsky.social and @sudimukherjee.bsky.social showing that mechanical properties of the #brain actively shape the molecular landscape during development and #axonpathfinding is finally out! www.nature.com/articles/s41... @pdncambridge.bsky.social @fau.de @MPZPM
nature.com
Long-range chemical signalling in vivo is regulated by mechanical signals - Nature Materials
Tissue stiffness mediated by Piezo1 is shown to regulate the expression of diffusive guidance cues in the developing Xenopus laevis brain, revealing a crosstalk between mechanical signals and long-ran...
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Reposted by Rory Cooper
The Milinkovitch-Tzika lab @lanevol.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
Discover how our research comes to life in 3D! Explore digital 3D models from surface scanning and volumetric imaging directly on our website. Each model includes scientific context, videos, and VR/AR exploration. 🔗 www.lanevol.org/3d-models #3DModels #ScienceVisualization #OpenScience
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The Milinkovitch-Tzika lab @lanevol.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
Our research on reptile pigmentation is featured on the cover of Genetics 🧬🦎 We uncover how mutations in TYR, SLC24A5, and OCA2 shape hypomelanism in snakes & geckos, revealing modular and flexible melanogenesis. 🔗 academic.oup.com/genetics/art...
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Rory Cooper @rorylcooper.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
Beautiful weather for a visit to the @institutcurie.bsky.social, where I’m speaking about the molecular and mechanical regulation of skin appendage development 🐣 🐊 🔬
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Parichy Lab | Dave Parichy @dparichy.bsky.social · 30/12/2025
Just in time for the New Year we have a new preprint up that focuses on white cells, often used as ornaments in fish. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
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Reposted by Rory Cooper
Griffin Lab @griffinlabpaleo.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
Very excited to share that our latest paper is out in Science! We show that the type specimen of Nanotyrannus—an isolated skull—is fully grown, showing that it is not a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex but a distinct species (1/12) www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
science.org
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Reposted by Rory Cooper
Joe Weaver @joeeweaver.bsky.social · 03/12/2025
@rorylcooper.bsky.social gave a very nice talk (with gorgeous art) on crocodilian head scale patterns. Fav finding was a potential simple explaination mechanisms driving scale diversity between species.
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Reposted by Rory Cooper
CGEBM Aberdeen @cgebm-aberdeen.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
I didn't manage to summarise all of @rorylcooper.bsky.social 's seminar today, but here we have sonic hedgehog inhibition pausing chicken embryo feather development at stage E9, and halting chicken embryo feather development at stage E11. Thank you for the great talk on skin patterning.
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Reposted by Rory Cooper
Alison Wright @alielw.bsky.social · 17/11/2025
Join us! 🧬🪰🎉🔬 We are currently advertising two #PhD projects to study the #evolution, #development and #genomics of sexual traits in stalk-eyed flies. Deadline for applying is Wednesday, January 7, 2026. Get in touch for more info!
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Development, Regeneration and Neurophysiology @drn-sheffield.bsky.social · 12/11/2025
Join us in Sheffield! We are keen to support early career researchers in applying for independent research fellowships (IRFs) to join our friendly and collaborative environment, in areas related to developmental biology, stem cells and regenerative biology, and neuroscience.
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Reposted by Rory Cooper
Development, Regeneration and Neurophysiology @drn-sheffield.bsky.social · 12/11/2025
Today’s speaker in our DRN external seminar series is Professor Jens Januschke (University of Dundee) @dundee.ac.uk Host: Kyra Campbell @kyracampbelllab.bsky.social All welcome!
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Reposted by Rory Cooper
Theory of Living Matter Group @tlmcambridge.bsky.social · 05/11/2025
🚨 Join us TODAY for two really exciting talks on the emergence of the fractal bronchial tree and tortoise/ crocodile head scale patterning!🚨 @rorylcooper.bsky.social @maltemederacke.bsky.social
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Reposted by Rory Cooper
James Briscoe @jamesbriscoe.bsky.social · 05/11/2025
Development that lasts a life time. Check out the 2025 special issue of @dev-journal.bsky.social on Lifelong Development: the Maintenance, Regeneration and Plasticity of Tissues journals.biologists.com/dev/issue/15...
journals.biologists.com
Volume 152 Issue 20 | Development | The Company of Biologists
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Theory of Living Matter Group @tlmcambridge.bsky.social · 04/11/2025
🚨 Join us tomorrow for two really exciting talks on the emergence of the fractal bronchial tree and tortoise/ crocodile head scale patterning!🚨 @rorylcooper.bsky.social @maltemederacke.bsky.social
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Reposted by Rory Cooper
Andrew Lin @andrewclin.bsky.social · 03/11/2025
Fully funded 4-year PhD position available in my lab! Study neuronal compensation for natural circuit perturbations in the fly brain - learn calcium imaging, electrophysiology, genetics and computational modelling. Apply by 7 Jan 2026. www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
findaphd.com
BBSRC Yorkshire Bioscience DLA Programme: Neuronal compensation for natural circuit perturbations at University of Sheffield on FindAPhD.com
PhD Project - BBSRC Yorkshire Bioscience DLA Programme: Neuronal compensation for natural circuit perturbations at University of Sheffield, listed on FindAPhD.com
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Rory Cooper @rorylcooper.bsky.social · 03/11/2025
🚨 Come join us @sheffielduni.bsky.social for a PhD on the evolution and development of feathers and flight! 🐣🔬 This project is supervised by @matt-towers.bsky.social & @alexgfletcher.bsky.social, and I'm excited to be involved as a project advisor. Please share! www.findaphd.com/phds/project... 🧪
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Stanley E. Strawbridge @stanleystrawbridge.bsky.social · 31/10/2025
🚨 PhD Projects 🚨 We are advertising two UKRI funded PhD projects at the @sheffielduni.bsky.social. #stemcells #development #embryology #reproductivephysiology #mathmaticalmodelling #quantitativebiology
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Rory Cooper @rorylcooper.bsky.social · 30/10/2025
I’ll be speaking about the mechanical development of crocodile and tortoise head scales next Wednesday at 4pm for the @tlmcambridge.bsky.social seminar series. Subscribe to the mailing list to hear more about my work, and that of @maltemederacke.bsky.social! lists.cam.ac.uk/sympa/subscr...
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Development, Regeneration and Neurophysiology @drn-sheffield.bsky.social · 29/10/2025
Today’s speaker in our DRN external seminar series is Dr Ryan MacDonald @macdonaldlab.bsky.social (University College London) Sponsored by the Physiological Society @physoc.bsky.social Host: Emily Noël @noelresearchlab.bsky.social All welcome!
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Vicki Metzis @vmetzis.bsky.social · 23/10/2025
I am absolutely delighted to share the invited speakers for our upcoming @bsdb.bsky.social "Molecules to Morphogenesis" meeting! Registration and abstract submission is now open - join us! bsdb.org/meetings/ March 23-26, 2026 - UK
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Rory Cooper @rorylcooper.bsky.social · 15/10/2025
Delighted that my light sheet image of an embryonic chicken wing was recognised as an Image of Distinction in the Nikon Small World 2025 Photomicrography Competition 🐣🔬 www.nikonsmallworld.com/galleries/20...
nikonsmallworld.com
Wing of a chicken embryo after 11 days of development | 2025 Photomicrography Competition
Rory Cooper - Wing of a chicken embryo after 11 days of development
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Glover lab @glover-lab.bsky.social · 26/09/2025
🚨 Excited to introduce FuChi (Fucci chicken), the first avian cell cycle reporter line. Thank you to all those who contributed to putting this paper together. I really think it showcases the power and beauty of the chick embryo as a developmental biology model. 🐥 🥚 🔬 @roslininstitute.bsky.social
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The Milinkovitch-Tzika lab @lanevol.bsky.social · 08/09/2025
🐊 New 90‑second video: watch the digital model of a #crocodile head side‑by‑side with a stunning multi‑material #3Dprint. ▶️ Video: youtu.be/3roeSI-HBbg?... 📖 Nature Article: rdcu.be/d3dnd 🎬 Full explainer (26K+ views, multiple languages): youtube.com/playlist?lis...
youtu.be
From 3D Modelling to 3D Printing - The Movie
YouTube video by The LANE channel
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Matt Towers @matt-towers.bsky.social · 09/09/2025
I'm a bit late to the party over here. I'll be advertising a BBSRC-funded postdoc position soon. So if anyone wants to solve some outstanding questions in limb development - please get in touch. We have a variety of models and approaches (everything from stem cells to sharks). towerslab.weebly.com
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bioRxiv Developmental Biology @biorxiv-devbio.bsky.social · 31/08/2025
Shark tooth regeneration: RNAseq reveals genes for unlimited dental renewal www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/202…
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James Briscoe @jamesbriscoe.bsky.social · 26/08/2025
Our latest: We developed a chemo-optogenetic system for precise spatiotemporal control of morphogen production. Using dual light + small molecule control of Sonic Hedgehog production, we recapitulated neural tube patterning in vitro & measured spread of Shh 🧵 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
sciencedirect.com
Investigating morphogen and patterning dynamics with optogenetic control of morphogen production
Morphogen gradients provide the patterning cues that instruct cell fate decisions during development. Here, we establish an optogenetic system for the…
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Antonia Weberling @a-weberling.bsky.social · 11/08/2025
1/6 Preprint Alert Ever thought that humans & chameleons look alike? We follow chameleon development from fertilisation to oviposition & uncover the process through which they form an epiblast lumen that exhibits striking similarity to human embryos #devbio #evodevo www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
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