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Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan (She/Her)

@vaishananth.bsky.social
1.4K followers 1.2K following 86 posts

EMBLAustralia Group Leader @ UNSW Sydney| Ex Asst Prof IISc Bangalore | EMBO YI 2018 | MPI-CBG Dresden & BITS Pilani alumna | Co-founder @ biaswatchindia | Ally 🏳️‍🌈

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Reposted by Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan (She/Her)
Leeba Ann Chacko @leeba.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
Thrilled that our recent paper has received the SBMS November 2025 Paper of the Month award. Grateful for this recognition, to the entire team for their hard work, and to my mentor @vaishananth.bsky.social , for her constant support. www.cell.com/current-biol...
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Izzy Jayasinghe @ijayas.bsky.social · 26/11/2025
If anyone wondering about academic funding in Aus, this is the stark reality at present. I have written countless letters to politicians like @mehreenfaruqi.bsky.social, @davidpocock.bsky.social who like to say they are leading this conversation in Aus but it is really like shouting into the void.
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Leading Edge Fellows Program @leadingedgeprogram.bsky.social · 05/11/2025
The Leading Edge Fellows gathered this week to celebrate Zara Weinberg, a beloved member of our community. Our 7th cohort of Leading Edge Fellows (2026) will be named in her honor. The Zara Weinberg Leading Edge Cohort application is now open! Due Feb 2. www.leadingedgesymposium.org/apply/
Candid photo of Zara Weinberg. She has short red hair, bangs and glasses. She is laughing.
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Omaya Dudin 𓂆 ¦🍉¦🦠¦🔬¦ @dudinlab.bsky.social · 31/10/2025
🚨Our collaboration with @centriolelab.bsky.social & @gautamdey.bsky.social is out today in @cp-cell.bsky.social We show that #Expansion #Microscopy is a broad-spectrum modality for Euks, enabling 3D phenotypic maps rooted to phylogeny. #ProtistsOnSky #SciComm #SciSky www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
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Izzy Jayasinghe @ijayas.bsky.social · 22/10/2025
📣 We are hiring! An education-focused Lecturer or Senior Lecturer in Quantitative Biomedical or Biophysical sciences. It’s a chance to be a part of a team of single molecule /cellular biophysicists building a brand new undergraduate curriculum, here at UNSW in sunny Sydney. Happy to answer queries.
external-careers.jobs.unsw.edu.au
Lecturer / Senior Lecturer in Quantitative Biomedical Sciences (Education focused)
The incumbent will contribute to undergraduate teaching in biophysics or quantitative biomedical sciences within the School of Biomedical Sciences.
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Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan (She/Her) @vaishananth.bsky.social · 03/11/2025
Thrilled to share that this work has been accepted for publication @currentbiology.bsky.social 🥳 Special shoutout to the editorial team – the process was incredibly smooth and productive. Read more here: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
sciencedirect.com
Mitochondrial function regulates cell growth kinetics to maintain mitochondrial homeostasis
Mitochondria are not produced de novo in newly divided daughter cells but are inherited from the mother cell during mitosis. While mitochondrial homeo…
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Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan (She/Her) @vaishananth.bsky.social · 02/07/2025
Congratulations, Monica! You continue to inspire 🌟
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Shane Herbert @shaneherbert.bsky.social · 06/05/2025
My first post on Bluesky! Very excited to share our work just published in @science.org. We find that “Interphase cell morphology defines the mode, symmetry, and outcome of mitosis” - in angiogenesis and other tissues! www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1... www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1...
science.org
Interphase cell morphology defines the mode, symmetry, and outcome of mitosis
During tissue formation, dynamic cell shape changes drive morphogenesis while asymmetric divisions create cellular diversity. We found that the shifts in cell morphology that shape tissues could conco...
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Reposted by Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan (She/Her)
Mary Mirvis @marymirvis.bsky.social · 19/04/2025
New(ish) preprint! 📰What whole-cell patterns emerge from the arrangement, morphologies, and interactions of organelles in the 3D space of the cell? What would we see if we could gather ALL the whole-cell reconstruction data that's out there in one place? www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... 🧵 1/11
biorxiv.org
A scoping study of the whole-cell imaging literature: a foundational corpus, potential for mesoscale data synthesis, and implications for standardization of an emerging field
The level of cellular organization bridging the mesoscale and whole-cell scale is coming into focus as a new frontier in cell biology. Great progress has been made in unraveling the complex physical a...
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Needhi Bhalla 💅🏽 @needhibhalla.bsky.social · 09/04/2025
@ucsusa.bsky.social is running a "science advocacy training webinar on writing letters to the editor to inform and influence different audiences about the impacts of federal cuts to science and science workers" next Thursday April 17 🧪 It will be recorded for those who register but cannot attend
secure.ucs.org
Sharing Stories of Science through Letters to the Editor
The Union of Concerned Scientists invites scientists and experts to a science advocacy training webinar on writing letters to the editor to inform and influence different audiences about the impacts o...
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MIT Press @mitpress.bsky.social · 08/04/2025
We're disappointed to see Ben Barres's powerful book "The Autobiography of a Transgender Scientist" among the ~400 titles removed from the Naval Academy Library. Needless to say, we're proud to have published his book and will keep it — and his memory — alive.
thereader.mitpress.mit.edu
The Coming Out of a Transgender Scientist
"I know that I am making the right decision because whenever I think about changing my gender role, I am flooded with feelings of relief."
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Barriga Lab @eliasbarrigalab.bsky.social · 07/04/2025
REPOSTING this here just to officially leave "the other place" Our work on the role of endogenous electric fields in guiding collective cell migration during #morphogenesis is out @naturematerials.bsky.social nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Stretch-induced endogenous electric fields drive directed collective cell migration in vivo - Nature Materials
Electric fields guide collective cell migration in developing embryos of Xenopus laevis via a voltage-sensitive phosphatase.
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Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan (She/Her) @vaishananth.bsky.social · 09/04/2025
tagging @leeba.bsky.social!
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Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan (She/Her) @vaishananth.bsky.social · 09/04/2025
This is the outcome of Leeba Chacko's PhD research - all credit to her (she also recently submitted her thesis - pictured below with her PhD hat). This work also included incredibly fruitful and fun collaborations with Hidenori (Tokushima U.), Richard (UNSW) and @wallaceucsf.bsky.social! (n/n)
First author Leeba with her PhD hat after she submitted her thesis (L) and Vaish Ananthanarayanan (R).
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Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan (She/Her) @vaishananth.bsky.social · 09/04/2025
In summary, we demonstrate a central role for mitochondrial activity in dictating cellular growth rates/kinetics and ensuring mitochondrial volume homeostasis. (6/n)
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Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan (She/Her) @vaishananth.bsky.social · 09/04/2025
The prediction of this model was that cells that lacked mitochondrial activity would grow linearly, and indeed we saw that rho0 cells (without mtDNA) switched to linear growth! (5/n)
comparison of cell size over time of WT and rho0 cells showing a switch from exponential (WT) to linear (rho0) growth in the absence of mtDNA
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Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan (She/Her) @vaishananth.bsky.social · 09/04/2025
Both the cell size and mitochondrial volume grew exponentially during the cell cycle, but given our previous data, we asked if mitochondrial activity drove the cell's exponential growth - using quantitative modeling we found this was the case. (4/n)
Plot of cell size over time, fit to an equation that links cell size to mitochondrial activity.
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Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan (She/Her) @vaishananth.bsky.social · 09/04/2025
We compared pairs of daughter cells that divided symmetrically but partitioned mitochondria asymmetrically - cells with fewer mitochondria grew slower. Those with more mitochondria grew faster. Both daughter cells eventually divided according to the 'sizer' mechanism, but at different times. (3/n)
comparison of daughter cell pairs with similar cell sizes at birth but asymmetric mitochondrial partitioning, showing that the daughter cells with less mito grow slower and take longer to achieve the size for division.
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Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan (She/Her) @vaishananth.bsky.social · 09/04/2025
At cell division, small newborn cells inherited fewer mitochondria from the mother, while larger received more. But by division, all cells ended up with the same mitochondrial volume! (2/n)
Plot of mitochondrial volume at division against cell length at birth, showing a linear scaling of mitochondrial volume with cell lengthPlot of mitochondrial volume at division against cell length at birth, showing all cells have roughly the same mitochondrial volume at division.
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Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan (She/Her) @vaishananth.bsky.social · 09/04/2025
How is mitochondrial volume maintained across successive generations of dividing cells? In our new preprint, we show how fission yeast cells use mitochondrial activity to control division timing and maintain mitochondrial homeostasis! (1/n) 📖 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
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openRxiv @openrxiv.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
openRxiv has arrived! We’re thrilled to announce the launch of openRxiv as an independent, researcher-led nonprofit to oversee bioRxiv and medRxiv, the world’s leading preprint servers for life and health sciences. openrxiv.org/introducing-... #openRxiv #OpenScience #Preprints #bioRxiv #medRxiv
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Izzy Jayasinghe @ijayas.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
Posting this here now that the orange man has erasing scientific literature. What people, perhaps without any strong opinions on this, never understand is the barriers that academics have to overcome to publish papers on gender and trans identities. He can burn the journals, but we will keep PDFs 😘
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UNSW Single Molecule Science @singmolsci.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
Aaaand that’s a wrap at Asia Pacific Microscopy Congress 2025 in sunny Brisbane, attended by a big team from Single Molecule Science. Lots of exciting new 🔬 tools and translation in biomedical investigations. @ijayas.bsky.social @arindam92.bsky.social
Group photo of eight colleagues representing the dept, standing in front of the conference muralSome colleagues sitting around a dinner tableA conference speaker standing at a lectern podium Arindam Ghosh being introduced to the symposium by Liz Hinde.
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Reposted by Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan (She/Her)
Reto Fiolka @retof.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
U2OS labeled with OMP25-GFP, an outer membrane marker for mitochondria. Left shows a zoom-in on the dimmer cell. Imaged by OPM (oblique plane microscope). #Microscopy
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Reposted by Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan (She/Her)
Izzy Jayasinghe @ijayas.bsky.social · 01/12/2024
Reading the paper in Cell about how to close the scissor plots in gender representation at senior academic positions, I feel just a touch of pessimism. Having reached a level of seniority (middle management) I didn’t think I ever would, I read these great ideas wanting more, much more /1.
cell.com
Closing the scissor-shaped curve: Strategies to promote gender equality in academia
Gender inequality in STEM fields remains pervasive and undermines the ability for talented individuals to excel. Despite advances, women still encounter obstacles in pursuing academic careers and reac...
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Reposted by Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan (She/Her)
Mary Munson @marymunson4.bsky.social · 25/11/2024
My lab at UMass Chan Med School uses a variety of approaches to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of membrane traffic. Striving to make academic science a more diverse, equitable, welcoming and inclusive place. Incoming President for the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB)! Opinions are mine.
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Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan (She/Her) @vaishananth.bsky.social · 24/11/2024
Congratulations Marcus!
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Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan (She/Her) @vaishananth.bsky.social · 24/11/2024
Always a solution
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Reposted by Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan (She/Her)
Benoit Ladoux @bladoux.bsky.social · 24/11/2024
I am delighted to share our new preprint in which we reveal the crucial role for mechanical forces in myoblast fusion. Great work from Yoann, Sushil and Aleksandra and great collaboration with Christophe Marcelle and Amin Doostmohammadi! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
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Madhu Pai, MD, PhD @madhupai.bsky.social · 24/11/2024
Non-native English speakers need 50% more time to write a paper When they do, they face a 2.5 times higher chance of being rejected because of language journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
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Tamas Nagy @tamasnagy.com · 19/11/2024
I agree with @wallaceucsf.bsky.social's great synthesis here, it's a super exciting time for physical biology! We are in the process of transitioning from simply cataloguing the parts to actually understanding how they interact to produce the high-level behaviors we see.
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Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan (She/Her) @vaishananth.bsky.social · 24/11/2024
Super cool work! Congrats to the authors!
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Erika Holzbaur-Howland @erikaholzbaur.bsky.social · 15/11/2024
So proud of Adam Fenton and his work defining the role of FMRP in the local regulation of mitochondrial fission in neurons via local translation: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
FMRP regulates MFF translation to locally direct mitochondrial fission in neurons - Nature Cell Biology
Fenton et al. show that FMRP granules dock at the mitochondrial midzone in a Rab7-dependent manner in axons and dendrites, where they promote local MFF synthesis and fission at the mitochondrial midzo...
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Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan (She/Her) @vaishananth.bsky.social · 24/11/2024
Hi Sarah, thanks for making this list! Could you add me too?
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Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan (She/Her) @vaishananth.bsky.social · 21/11/2024
Sunny Sydney Friday ☀️☀️
Photo of a Sydney beach with the CBD in the background
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Reposted by Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan (She/Her)
Michael Morehead @michael-syglass.bsky.social · 20/11/2024
I *see* you BSKY. Cleared #lightsheet #microscopy of the human #eye from Marie Darche in Paris and rendered in www.syglass.io.
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Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan (She/Her) @vaishananth.bsky.social · 19/11/2024
Thanks Kris! I've been around since the invite-only days of bsky, but so happy to see folks leaving that other awful platform to start a sci-verse here.
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Reposted by Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan (She/Her)
Sam Lewis, Ph.D. @samlewis.bsky.social · 10/11/2024
Check out our new quick guide in @currentbiology.bsky.social, all about Mitochondrial Nucleoids! t.co/QFTQrevZNu
t.co
https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822%2824%2901346-0
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Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan (She/Her) @vaishananth.bsky.social · 13/11/2024
You can learn more about my lab's science and philosophy in this recent FocalPlane interview: focalplane.biologists.com/2024/11/04/a... I've been fairly quiet on social media all year, but hope to engage a bit more in the future! 2/2
focalplane.biologists.com
An interview with Dr. Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan - FocalPlane
An interview with Dr. Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan - Interviews
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Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan (She/Her) @vaishananth.bsky.social · 13/11/2024
Super excited to see all this activity on BlueSky! 👋 I'm a cell biologist/biophysicist interested in how the cell interior is organised by stochastic interactions between the cytoskeleton, motor proteins and organelles. I also care deeply about equity and inclusion in academia. 1/2
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Shruti Muralidhar @polybiotique.bsky.social · 12/11/2024
So happy to see familiar faces again! ❤️ For the new folks - I'm a neuroscientist by training and I'm passionate about scicomm and women in STEM. Previous works in this space include indscicomm.blog with @abhishekchari.bsky.social and biaswatchindia.com with @vaishananth.bsky.social
indscicomm.blog
IndSciComm
Innovating Scicomm for India
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Izzy Jayasinghe @ijayas.bsky.social · 06/02/2024
Final week for applications for up to 2 postdoc posts in advanced biomedical (super-resolution) microscopy with my team in Sydney, based at @singmolsci.bsky.social. The post is especially suited for ECRs interested in single molecule imaging, &/or image analysis. International applicants welcome 🧪
external-careers.jobs.unsw.edu.au
Post-Doctoral Fellow in Advanced Biomedical Microscopy
UNSW Department of Molecular Medicine seeks an enthusiastic researcher in super-resolution microscopy to develop novel super resolution methods and leverage these techniques to study cellular architec...
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Yanlan Mao @yanlanmao.bsky.social · 06/02/2024
Interested in studying Computational Cell Biophysics at UCL? Applications are open for our innovative MRes programme at the interface between physics and biology! ucl.ac.uk/lmcb/mres-ccb Watch this video to find out more: mediacentral.ucl.ac.uk/Player/9h335dB3
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Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan (She/Her) @vaishananth.bsky.social · 01/02/2024
#NewProfilePic
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Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan (She/Her) @vaishananth.bsky.social · 29/01/2024
Back on Twitter (I refuse to call it the other name) after a long-ish hiatus, and a challenging 2023. Here's hoping for a happier, science-filled 2024! Cat tax:
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Izzy Jayasinghe @ijayas.bsky.social · 13/11/2023
Latest paper from our team on variations in cellular staining with 14 different fluorescent dye esters when combined with expansion microscopy. Strategic deployment of these dyes with expansion 🔬 can not only provide EM-like images, but also highlight different sets of cellular organelles. 🧪
pubs.rsc.org
Differential labelling of human sub-cellular compartments with fluorescent dye esters and expansion ...
Amine-reactive esters of aromatic fluorescent dyes are emerging as imaging probes for nondescript staining of cellular and tissue architectures. We characterised the staining patterns of 14 fluorescen...
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Vaishnavi Ananthanarayanan (She/Her) @vaishananth.bsky.social · 16/11/2023
Thanks for highlighting our (@polybiotique.bsky.social) report and its coverage by @dyanilewis.bsky.social, Izzy. As we mention in our report, fixing this will require clearly earmarked resources, and importantly, the will and strong commitment to equity from the leadership in Indian academia.
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Shruti Muralidhar @polybiotique.bsky.social · 15/11/2023
“TIFR’s hiring policies and evaluation processes for scientists and academicians are completely gender-neutral,” they said. Their base rate is 8.8% Are these 'gender-neutral processes' working? www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
One-third of Indian STEM conferences have no women
Women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics faculty are rare, and women speaking at conferences are even rarer. Women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics faculty are rare...
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Felicity Davis @davislab.bsky.social · 10/11/2023
Our thoughts on how to make conferences more inclusive and sustainable - with @vaishananth.bsky.social and a great international team. Check it out here: rdcu.be/dqHEM
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