🚨 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

On Monday, Nobel laureate Prof. Shinya Yamanaka gave the inaugural Sir Ian Wilmut lecture @roslininstitute.bsky.social. Inspiring and gracious with his time, he chatted with students & fellows in two great sessions. It was a real honour to meet Shinya, share our research, and hear his story.

New work with Saunders & Charras labs Physical boundaries guide cell fate decisions during human trunk development Reaction Diffusion model shows how geometry shapes biology with TBXT expression forming consistent domains regardless of colony size & shape www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Exhausted at the thought of having to resubmit your paper to a new journal after rejection? 🙁 Did you know you can transfer your paper+reviewers reports from any journal to any of @biologists.bsky.social journals, and get a quick decision, from editors who are working biologists 😃 #biologists100

🚨🐣 Our new paper is out @plosbiology.org! Sonic hedgehog inhibition transforms feathers into ancestral protofeathers-like structures. These units then recover after hatching, highlighting their remarkable developmental robustness! @lanevol.bsky.social 🧪 journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...

Need to electroporate and/or live image avian embryos? We hope our new preprint will help you get started: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... Open EGGbox: an open-source 3D-printed embryonic Gallus gallus toolbox for electroporation and culture/live imaging of avian embryos ex ovo 🧪🐣 #devbio

Our paper, from a project that started many moons ago (during my PhD), which further explores the role of PRDM14 in avian embryonic development and primordial germ cells. 🐥🔬 @devbiol.bsky.social 🥚🧫 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Let's look at some cool bilateral cellular flows videos IMHO: this is a goldmine for #EpithelialMechanics Movie from Asai et al 2024 shows beautiful counter rotating flows.

📣Check out our work led by @alex-plum.bsky.social ! We developed a mathematical framework for morphogen patterning in dynamic tissues, revealing key insights into how morphogenesis mediates cell-cell communication, morphogen compartmentalization and fate coordination. biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Chuai, M., Serrano Nájera, G., Serra, M., Mahadevan, L., & Weijer, C. J. (2023). Reconstruction of distinct vertebrate gastrulation modes via modulation of key cell behaviors in the chick embryo. Science Advances, 9(1), eabn5429. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abn5429 #EpithelialMechanics

Inspired by @mads100tist.bsky.social I'm going to do threads on parts of the publishing process we often get asked about. These will be from my perspective @naturecomms.bsky.social and based on my own opinions, so keep your salt handy.

Check out a new paper @science.org and its related perspective www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

First snowy run of the year 🏃❄️🏔️🐸 #Edinburgh

🥳 We got our Christmas present - our paper was accepted in PNAS!! @pnas.org 😀🎄🎅 Congrats to my student Shubham Sinha, collabs. Rieko Asai, Takashi Mikawa 😀 We showed that cellular flows initiate L-R patterning prior to laterality gene expression in amniotes! 🐣 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

In vitro modelling of anterior primitive streak patterning with human pluripotent stem cells identifies the path to notochord progenitors Read this #OpenAccess Research Article by Miguel Robles-Garcia, Guillaume Blin and colleagues @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social: https://buff.ly/3ZMtzc6

Collab with Dr Sara Clohisey (genomics/mice), Prof Neil Mabbott (immunology) and @glover-lab.bsky.social (development)

Tiger or mouse? Patterns of self-organised mesenchymal condensates in embryonic mouse skin where the typically resticted signalling conditions of the developing hair follicle are applied across the entire tissue. #FluorescentFriday #DevBio

Absolutely fascinating work on crocodilian scale patterning. This video explains the research brilliantly. Congratulations to all the authors on an excellent study!!

🚨Hyped to share our new article in @natureportfolio.bsky.social! We show that crocodile head scales develop from compressive folding that arises from constrained skin growth 🐊🔬 Really proud of this one - it's cool 😎 Please read & share! 🧪 @genevunige.bsky.social www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Megan Davey & co make the case for revisiting the use of chick embryos in biomedical research New genome engineering tools & single cell assays means its time for a renaissance in avian research models Great potential for #3Rs in cancer & development studies www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Sneak preview results of latest project in collab with @glover-lab.bsky.social !

Delighted to announce a new call for applications for our Pathway to Independence programme. Now entering its third year, this scheme supports postdocs going on the job market in 2025 - with training, mentorship, profile-raising and networking opportunities. Application deadline 31 Jan 2025. 1/3

Like a developing germ cell in the chick embryo, I am migrating. Looking forward to engaging with the scientific community over here on Bluesky.