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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 18h

🚨 Paper Alert! A new preprint from our DC @Kata_Szabo is out! Check out the sample-preparation protocols she developed for volume electron microscopy (vEM) of marine organisms. 🔬🌊 #Platynereis #microscopy #synchrotron #xray #vEM #connectomics #MCSA #PhD

biorxiv.org

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Together, these teams bring complementary expertise in marine developmental biology and genome evolution to ZooCELL. We are proud to have them as part of our network! #developmentalbiology #evolution #EvoDevo #genomics

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Two LBDV teams contribute to ZooCELL: 🔬 Cnidarian Developmental Mechanisms (@clytia-vlfr.bsky.social) led by Evelyn Houliston and Tsuyoshi Momose. 🧬 Genome and Protein Evolution in Animals, led by Richard Copley.

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Within IMEV, LBDV @biodev-vlfr.bsky.social, investigates cell and developmental biology in marine invertebrates, as well as the evolution of animal genomes. Its seven research teams study fundamental processes including embryogenesis, regeneration, cell division, life cycles and animal evolution.

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Its unique location, where deep waters and coastal currents bring diverse planktonic organisms close to shore, has attracted marine scientists since the 19th century. Today, IMEV continues this tradition using approaches ranging from microscopy and quantitative imaging to genomics.

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

🇫🇷 🪼 Meet our partner, the Institut de la Mer de Villefranche (IMEV)! Our next ZooCELL partner takes us to Villefranche-sur-Mer, on the French Mediterranean coast. IMEV is one of Sorbonne University’s three marine stations and is jointly affiliated with the @cnrs.fr .

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

But we are also looking forward to returning to these amazing synchrotrons and cities, imaging even more animals, and discovering what exciting place our PhDs will take us next.

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

These results motivated us to return to EM to get to know our animals in even greater detail, now exploring inside their cells.

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Here, imaging took longer, one day for each animal instead of three minutes, but the images were much more detailed. Seeing every cell in our teeny worms revealed the complexity that cells create together as they build an organism.

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

We definitely made the most of our surroundings, going for evening walks after long days underground scanning samples. But the most exciting part was seeing our microscopic animals appear on the screen with the help of Alexandra Pacureanu.

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Catching a glimpse of a beautiful valley surrounded by mountains, with a river running through it and a synchrotron in the middle, was an unexpected sight from the FlixBus taking us to Grenoble.

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Then, equipped with our best samples, we took to the road again. Destination: @esrf.fr - The European Synchrotron in Grenoble. Objective: Obtain the highest-resolution X-ray images possible.

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Imaging animals there, especially such tiny ones, is very quick. However, scanning hundreds of them (as we did!) meant long days at the beamline and last-minute pizza orders before everything closed. But it was all worth it to find one beautiful sample among a hundred cracked ones.

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Our travels then continued, with our animals safely embedded in tiny resin blocks. Next stop: PETRA III at DESY, Hamburg. Angelika Svetlove, an X-ray imaging specialist, was there to guide us. She showed us around the beamline, and then we got to work right away.

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Why? Because it allows us to image the animals in a fraction of the time, without cutting them into thousands of tiny slices, as required for EM. Of course, the trade-off is less detail.

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

So, we searched for alternatives to complement our work. Some of us turned to light microscopy, while others explored computational approaches. One of the main techniques we chose was X-ray imaging.

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Because our animals are very small, studying them in detail can be difficult. To examine the tiniest details of every cell in an animal, we study them using volume Electron Microscopy (EM). It is an amazing but laborious and time-consuming technique.

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

But starting a new life in a new European country is not the end of our travels, and our animals come with us. The animals’ journeys begin in different places. Some come from Tupperware boxes in our labs, some from the freezing North Sea, and others come from a gulf in the Mediterranean.

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Exploring marine creatures: X-ray adventures across Europe 🔬 🇪🇺 In ZooCELL, we are interested in the smallest details of our weird little marine creatures. This interest brought us together from all over the world and led us to leave our home countries to study them.

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Learn about ZooCELL’s X-ray imaging journey from our DC Kata Szabó from the Jekely lab at COS-UHEI. Read below her article: "Exploring marine creatures: X-ray adventures across Europe"! 🧵 #EM #ESRF #DESY #PETRAIII #X-ray #imaging #PhDlife #MSCA

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

This week, we are taking a short break from our “Who We Are” series to share some exciting experiences from across the ZooCELL network. Come back tomorrow to follow our doctoral candidates and their marine animals on an X-ray imaging adventure across Europe! 🦐 🪱 🪼

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

📚 If you weren't a scientist, what would you do? "I've always loved reading, so becoming an author has been at the back of my mind for a long time. I'm not sure what kind of book I'd write, but I'd like to find a way to connect it to science." We are proud to have Marie as part of ZooCELL!

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

🏀 What do you enjoy outside the lab? "I've always used sports as an outlet, especially basketball and handball. When I'm not in the mood to be active, you'll usually find me reading, watching a movie or experiencing London with friends."

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

🔬 What technique do you use most, and what makes it exciting? "Electron microscopy is central to my project. I'm new to the technique, so every step is exciting! The ability to visualize cells at such high resolution continues to fascinate me."

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

🔬 What are you working on? "I'm using volume electron microscopy and single-cell RNA sequencing to 3D reconstruct the apical organ of a flatworm larva and explore the evolution of the sensory cell types animals use to interact with their environment."

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

🧬 What led you to comparative cell biology and ZooCELL? "I started with an MSci in Cell Biology and explored ageing, frontotemporal dementia and developmental biology. The latter sparked my interest in comparative cell biology and the evolutionary questions I'm now asking in ZooCELL."

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

💡 Who inspired you to become a scientist? "The science teachers I had growing up definitely influenced my decision. They taught me how to find joy and interest in all the different topics and questions we can explore in biology."

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

🔬 Meet Marie, ZooCELL Doctoral Candidate at UCL! @mariemaeland.bsky.social From cell biology to exploring the evolution of sensory cells, Marie combines advanced imaging and single-cell approaches to uncover the cellular architecture of a tiny flatworm larva. Read on to meet Marie! 🧵👇

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Stay tuned to discover more about the ZooCELL team at UCL! If you want to know more about “The Tree of Life: Solving Science's Greatest Puzzle” visit: www.hachette.co.uk/titles/max-t...

hachette.co.uk

The Tree of Life

'A DELIGHT' HENRY GEE 'BEAUTIFUL' THOMAS HALLIDAY Where do we come from and how did we get here? Come time-travelling through the history of every spe...

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Before tackling a book, Max wrote articles for The Conversation explaining the main results of recently published work from his lab. "And these were read by far more people than read the original papers!" 📢🔬

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

5️⃣ Any advice for early-career researchers interested in science communication? "I think the most important thing is to find a way of doing this that you enjoy. Writing short pieces on a blog, making videos, going out and talking to a general audience or a school."

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

"The book needed, above all, to be interesting, not simply informative. It's intended not as a textbook but, hopefully, an entertaining read." A good reminder that communicating science isn't only about explaining the facts. It's also about telling a story. 📖

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

4️⃣ What was the biggest challenge in turning evolutionary biology into a story for non-specialists? "The hardest part was working out what to leave out. Not all the details of what we do day to day in the lab are needed to tell the broader story."

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

"The book took that idea a lot further. I tried to write so it could be enjoyed and understood by any person with an interest in the evolution of life on Earth, with no background in science required." 📖🌳

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

3️⃣ You also wrote The Tree of Life. What inspired you to write for a broader audience? "I have always enjoyed writing and, along with research papers, I have written quite a few review papers and digests that explain new science to a general audience of scientists."

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

"...to reconstruct half a billion year old events in animal evolution." By combining what we learn about the relationships between animals with their characteristics, Max's lab is helping uncover what animal life may have looked like deep in evolutionary history. 🔬🧬

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Are these ciliated larvae an ancient invention inherited from an animal ancestor, or a good idea discovered independently by multiple animal groups? For Max, the exciting part is using what we learn about relationships and characteristics to "travel back in time"...

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

2️⃣ What are you researching today? "My lab works on reconstructing the animal tree of life using molecular data and on a specific animal characteristic: the ciliated larvae found in many marine invertebrates."

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

"...and for a long time wanted to be a marine biologist." At university, studying zoology allowed Max to explore the diversity of the animal kingdom, just as molecular approaches were beginning to transform how scientists reconstructed the animal tree of life. 🧬

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

1️⃣ What first sparked your interest in evolutionary biology? "As a teenager I loved books about natural history, from Gerald Durrell's My Family and Other Animals to David Attenborough's Life on Earth. I was also a bit obsessed with the scuba films of Jacques Cousteau..."

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

🔬 Meet Max Telford, PI of the ZooCELL team at UCL! @maxjtelford.bsky.social From natural history and marine life to reconstructing events from half a billion years ago, get to know Max, his research and his passion for sharing evolutionary biology beyond academia. 🧵👇

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

GEE brings together research across biodiversity, evolution and development, evolutionary genetics, computational biology, human evolution, genetics, ageing, and environmental biology. We are proud to have the Telford team at UCL as part of ZooCELL! 🧬🤝 Stay tuned to meet the UCL team! 🔬

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Since its founding, UCL has challenged conventions. It was the first university in England to welcome students of any religion and admit women on equal terms with men. The ZooCELL team at UCL, led by @maxjtelford.bsky.social, is based in the Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment (GEE).

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

🧬 The ZooCELL team series is back! 🇬🇧 Meet our Recruiting Associated Partner, UCL! Founded in 1826 in the heart of London, UCL is a leading multidisciplinary university, bringing together a diverse community of staff and students from around the world. Want to know more? 🧵👇

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

🧬 We’re back! After a short summer break, ZooCELL is back! Next week, we’ll resume our “Who are we?” series and continue introducing the institutes, researchers, and science that make up the ZooCELL network. Stay tuned! 🔬

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

🌞 ZooCELL is taking a short summer break! Our "Who are We?" series will return in September with more researchers, science, and stories from across the network. Have a wonderful summer! 🌞

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

7️⃣ If you weren’t a scientist, what would you do? “If I weren't a scientist, I'd probably work with languages. I even considered becoming a Latin and German teacher."

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ZooCELL MSCA-Doctoral Network @zoocell.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

6️⃣ What do you enjoy outside the lab? "I love spending time in nature. Living in a big city makes that harder, but at least I now know every tree in the local parks! I also enjoy playing tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons with my friends."

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