These are UMAP axes, resulting from a dimensionality reduction technique. While the axes themselves have no inherent meaning, the 3D space could be interpreted as: cells (points) that cluster together have more similar gene expression, and cells that cluster far apart have dissimilar expression 🧬

As a testament to collaborative progress, our colleagues simultaneously released their groundbreaking new method for single-nuclei RNA-sequencing in diatoms, revealing the cell fate heterogeneity during early sexual commitment 🤩. Find their pre-print here: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Wow you're right, thank you for spotting this. I reposted the comment with the correct link!

Find our Pre-print here: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

In our new pre-print, we established massive single-cell RNA-sequencing for diatoms to investigate key cell fate transitions. Notably, we discovered that the diploid-to-haploid transition is regulated by Myb TFs, a process that is actively ongoing across the Global Ocean! 🌊

Evolutionary cell biology comes of age Summary: This Perspective discusses how the discipline of evolutionary cell biology, by integrating evolutionary theory, comparative physiology and modern molecular approaches, works to understand how...

Thanks @jcellsci.bsky.social for this opportunity to contribute to your centenary collection with our take on the state of the field - 10 years after its modern reincarnation 🧪🌍

W/ @alebenoit.bsky.social @eelcotromer.bsky.social @fritzlaylin.bsky.social

journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...

This paper is the result of a fruitful collaboration between the Ferrante & Iudicone labs (Naples, Italy - @luciacampese.bsky.social) and the Vyverman and Vandepoele groups (Ghent, Belgium) @vandepoelelab.bsky.social . Shout-out to @fwovlaanderen.bsky.social for funding this research 🔬

Conserved genetic markers reveal widespread diatom sexual reproduction in the global ocean - Nature Communications Diatoms dominate the oceans, yet sexual reproduction - key to bloom dynamics and species evolvability - is rarely observed. Using a lab-to-field approach, this study presents conserved markers applica...

In our latest, we tackle a long-standing conundrum: when and where do diatoms reproduce sexually? Using a lab-to-field strategy, we designed conserved sex markers applied to microcosms & Tara Oceans metatranscriptomes, revealing widespread sex in the global ocean. Read all about it now in NatComm:

With @floravincent.bsky.social @serenaflori.bsky.social @darjabelisova.bsky.social @cleymanarthur.bsky.social @vandepoelelab.bsky.social @ansgargruber.bsky.social @nic-poulsen.bsky.social @sinkingdiatom.bsky.social and many others

Looking back on last week's Molecular Life of Diatoms conference 🌊. Honored to be hosting this tight-knit, creative and collaborative community in Ghent! Topics ranged from single-cell approaches, imaging breakthroughs, new insights into photosynthesis and symbioses etc. #protistsOnSky #MLD8

In the last talk of the #MLD8 conference, Peter Kroth gave an excellent overview of recent advances on diatom transcription factors, and how they regulate surface adhesion and light sensing 🧬👋

1/27 We have a new paper out! Turns out that snowflake yeast have been hiding a secret from us - they've evolved a (very!) crude circulatory system. Not with blood vessels or a heart, but through spontaneous fluid flows powered by their metabolism. 🧪🔬

www.science.org/doi/full/10....

Using sexual reproduction markers identified from scRNA data, Arthur Cleyman developed new tools to transform Cylindrotheca closterium and make “pheromone sensing” lines. Cool 😎 #MLD8 @gustbilcke.bsky.social

Single-cell RNA sequencing of two diatom species shows clear patterns of expression during sexual reproduction, shedding light on the mechanisms involved. Great student talk by Nadine Rijsdjik @ #MLD8 @gustbilcke.bsky.social

The design and synthesis of whole synthetic chromosomes (and yes, for diatoms) is now possible. The future is here. (Bogumil Karas @ #MLD8)

Predators come along and crunch off the apex/long axial spines of pennate diatoms (!). Sometimes it’s catastrophic for the diatom, but they’re often totally resilient and can divide again after two days. Eventually the shape is restored. Darja Belisová at #MLD8

Day 1 of #MLD8 - with an amazing talk by @nic-poulsen.bsky.social on diatom adhesion and motility, describing proteins found in diatom glue @mldiatoms.bsky.social

Only few days to register with an early bird discount for the famous Molecular Life of Diatoms conference, coming to beautiful historic Ghent, Belgium in June! 🏰 🦠

Cathepsin X is a conserved cell death protein involved in algal response to environmental stress Phytoplankton are responsible for half of the global photosynthesis and form vast blooms in aquatic ecosystems. Bloom demise fuels marine microbial li…

📣 We are excited to share our latest paper about Cathepsin X, a new algal cell death gene, led by @aviamizrachi.bsky.social and @maisadeh.bsky.social, published in Current Biology @currentbiology.bsky.social www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... 1/3 >>

The abstract submission deadline for the 8th edition of the Molecular Life of Diatoms conference has been extended: the new deadline is 27th of April 2025. Don’t miss a chance to present your breakthrough research! www.vibconferences.be/events/molec...

DiatOmicBase: a versatile gene‐centered platform for mining functional omics data in diatom research In recent years, diatoms have become the subject of increasing interest because of their ecological importance and their biotechnological potential for natural products such as pigments and polyunsat...

#diatoms #genomics #resources DiatOmicBase: a versatile gene-centered platform for mining functional omics data in diatom research @theplantjournal.bsky.social onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... joint work with @afalciat.bsky.social

THE conference of diatom molecular and cell bio is happening in Ghent this year !
Make sure to submit an abstract !
Flora

Molecular Life of Diatoms 8 22-26 June 2025, Ghent, Belgium

Want to share your latest breakthroughs on the molecular biology of diatoms? Join us at the Molecular Life of Diatoms conference from 22-26 June 2025 in beautiful historical Ghent, Belgium! Secure your spot here: vibconferences.be/events/molecular-life-of-diatoms-8 #MLD8

👋 could you add me, please?

And here is a paywall-free link for the New Phytologist version: nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/VSGUV2....

Open access pre-print available here: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Finally, we found that the previously described Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata MRM2 gene shows a conserved mating type-specific response in Cylindrotheca and in Seminavis, providing the first molecular evidence for a shared origin of heterothally in pennate diatoms. (4/4)

Several genes were only expressed in a specific mating type below the size threshold, highlighting how differentiation between mating types only happens when cells are small enough. One example is a local gene cluster of three MT+ and small cell specific genes that are pheromone responsive (3/n)

Specifically, we partially removed apices from Cylindrotheca closterium cells to create matched "large" and "small" sized cultures for six independent genotypes, three for each mating type. The expression of a small set of just 112 genes differentiated size classes and mating types (2/n)

Proud to share our latest work, out in @newphyt.bsky.social, where we use single-cell #microsurgery to investigate the molecular fingerprints of size-dependent sexual maturation in diatoms 🔥 (1/n)
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...