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

We have a postdoc position available. Please forward to anyone who may be interested.

Reminder that I will be speaking this Wednesday about my postdoc work. You have been warned. 🧪

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! 🐣 🔬

Had a lovely time talking about skin appendage development at @bangoruniversity.bsky.social - thanks for hosting @johnmulley.bsky.social! 🐊 🔬

Check out this postdoc opportunity in a great lab in Sheffield! 🐣🔬

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...

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

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

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

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...

Beautiful weather for a visit to the @institutcurie.bsky.social, where I’m speaking about the molecular and mechanical regulation of skin appendage development 🐣 🐊 🔬

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...

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/...

@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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

🚨 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

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...

🚨 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

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...

🚨 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... 🧪

🚨 PhD Projects 🚨 We are advertising two UKRI funded PhD projects at the @sheffielduni.bsky.social. #stemcells #development #embryology #reproductivephysiology #mathmaticalmodelling #quantitativebiology

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...

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!

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

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...

🚨 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

🐊 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...

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

Shark tooth regeneration: RNAseq reveals genes for unlimited dental renewal https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.26.672487v1

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...

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...

The final paper from my PhD project is out! Check it out for lots of live recordings of regenerating limbs. We show how we optimized long-term live imaging of regenerating crustacean limbs, up to 10 days, with high temporal resolution. #microscopymonday #regeneration #liveimaging

Thrilled to bits to see our latest work online in Dev Cell! 🥳 We wanted to know how cells build functional organs with precision🫀🫁📏 Here we show how coupling of cell shape and organ function fine tunes the form and contractile power of the developing #zebrafish heart 1/n tinyurl.com/cell-stretch

Developing scales on the head of a shark embryo, stained with YoPro1 iodide (labelling cell nuclei) and imaged with light sheet microscopy 🦈🔬🧪

Shark embryos of four different developmental stages, growing outside of their eggcases 🦈 🧪

🧬🇬🇧 UK Evo-Devo Starter Pack go.bsky.app/SgRdF9T

Had a lovely time at the Northern England Developmental Biology meeting on Thursday, and UK Evo Devo on Friday. Great to hear about the fascinating ongoing #DevBio research in the UK and beyond!

UK EvoDevo is happening today! We'll try to answer the eternal question, which came first the tea cup of the egg? ☕🥚 Sponsored by @biologists.bsky.social @novogene-europe.bsky.social @genewiz.bsky.social @royalsocietypublishing.org @qmul.bsky.social

Here's a tortoise embryo developing inside its egg. Check out our new article in @cp-iscience.bsky.social to learn how molecular and mechanical systems sculpt their intricate head scales 🐢🧪 www.cell.com/iscience/ful...

Embryonic chimeras: donors in, hosts out Read this Research Highlight showcasing work from @stanleystrawbridge.bsky.social, Alexander Fletcher, Jennifer Nichols & co. doi.org/10.1242/dev.... @scicambridge.bsky.social @drn-sheffield.bsky.social @uoe-igc.bsky.social @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social

🐢 The tortoise head is sculpted by physics and genes! Our new research shows that tortoise head scales form through two distinct processes: 👉 Chemical signaling shapes the sides 👉 Mechanical stress folds the top 🔗 cell.com/iscience/ful... @cellpress.bsky.social @biology-unige.bsky.social

Head scales of the Sulcata tortoise, imaged with light sheet microscopy. Our new study in @cp-iscience.bsky.social reveals that their emergence is controlled by both chemical cues and mechanical forces. Read the full article here 🐢🔬🧪 www.cell.com/iscience/ful...

This is the skull of a tortoise embryo imaged with light sheet microscopy. Check out our new article in @cp-iscience.bsky.social to learn how both chemical signalling and mechanical forces sculpt their intricate head scales 🐢🔬🧪 www.cell.com/iscience/ful...

Excited to share our new research in @cp-iscience.bsky.social! We reveal that tortoise head scales are sculpted through two distinct developmental processes - chemical signalling and mechanical folding 🐢🔬🧪 @lanevol.bsky.social @genevunige.bsky.social www.cell.com/iscience/ful...

It's finally here! Great start of the summer. We got our latest preprint from @chemamd.bsky.social in @qmulsbbs.bsky.social @qmulse.bsky.social, showing evidence of developmental system drift in the specification of dorsoventral (belly vs back) axis in annelids 🪱🪱🪱 #DevBio #EvoDevo