🚨 Why can’t mammals regenerate limbs like frog tadpoles or salamanders?
In our new paper in @science.org , we show that species-specific oxygen sensing acts as a gatekeeper for initiating limb regeneration 🐭🐸
🔗 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... #EvoDevo
Spatial gene expression maps in vertebrate limbs display conserved and regenerative species-specific features within connective tissue www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12...
A bit late but a paper from our lab has been published!
Human fingertip regeneration is a fact, it happens in children and adults (not only in children as it has been long believed). We describe here the regenerative phases and analyse the proteome of wound exudates.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Si se corta una planaria en trozos, cada uno de ellos es capaz de regenerar un organismo completo: un pedazo de la cola regenerará una nueva cabeza. El estudio de estos gusanos planos encierra la esperanza de poder imitarlo para regenerar nuestros órganos
Can't believe my postdoc paper is finally out. Christmas came early this year, holy moly 🎄
Molecular basis for de novo thymus regeneration in a vertebrate, the axolotl | Science Immunology www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
💚🦴 Fluorescence Friday: Halloween edition! 🎃
This glowing mouse embryo skeleton is serving serious spooky vibes 👻 Who knew bone development could look this eerie and elegant? 💀 Image by @martinestermann.bsky.social
#FluorescenceFriday #SpookyScience
People discussing projects at a pin board with text promoting upcoming online courses this autumn.
Places available in our online courses this autumn: @embo.org Project Management (17-19.09), Negotiation for Scientists (18-19.09), Lab Leadership for Postdocs (07-09.10) and for Group Leaders (04-06.11) + Self-Leadership (14-16.10). Register now: www.embolableadership.org/our-courses/ #EMBOLabLead
A preprint co-authored by MDI Bio Lab Ph.D. student @damgargar.bsky.social (@murawalalab.bsky.social) is already turning heads!
The study was recently highlighted by @prelights.bsky.social, a journal featuring noteworthy preprints of particular interest to the biological community. 🧪 🤝
We're grateful to have our #preprint featured in @prelights.bsky.social. Thank you @dhanuush.bsky.social for selecting it!
Check it out! 🤩
@mdibiolab.bsky.social @murawalalab.bsky.social
Delighted that our work on positional memory is now published. We asked how axolotl cells 'know' which part of the limb to regenerate after injury.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A joy to work with super team Sarah Plattner, Yuka Sugiura, Francisco Falcon and Elly Tanaka.
🧵1/14
Delighted to see this work from my lab published today, where we identify a population of ETV-1 positive glutamatergic neurons that are activated in the brain in response to a distant injury.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Two pink axolotls and one (Chonk) has bunny ears
A pink axolotl with bunny ears
Happy Easter to all who celebrate from Chonk and the axolotls!
The @embo.org practical course on #lightsheet #microscopy is back!
Join us in #Dresden for 2 weeks with #your #samples, try the complete line-up of #lightsheet microscopes, tackle big data image analysis, sample prep, OA hardware & much more
Apply now!
Repost 🙏
meetings.embo.org/event/25-lsm
It has been known for a long time that if the starting point of limb regeneration is at the hand level or close to the shoulder, it would take about the same time to regenerate. Puzzling right?
Check out this preprint from our lab to know more about it:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Embryonic induction of fate is a core concept in developmental biology. But, cells can also modify the physical state of surrounding tissues a process we call 'actuation'.
I reviewed with
@mayorlab.bsky.social 3 excellent papers that show how actuation and feedback can drive changes in the embryo.
🚨Latin American Workshop Series🚨
The team from @bethcimini.bsky.social‘s lab at @broadinstitute.org and the Center for Open Bioimage Analysis will host three free online image analysis workshops for LATAM ... in SPANISH🇪🇸 and PORTUGUESE🇧🇷!!!🎉🎊
broad.io/latam_worksh...
Deadline: April 23rd, 2025
The essential role of connective-tissue cells during axolotl limb regeneration www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03....
I want to thank my Ph.D. mentor, @murawalalab.bsky.social, and all the co-authors in the manuscript. Without their work, this project wouldn’t be a reality! 🫶
Let us know what you think 😀
With this
• We conclude that CT cells are the majority of blastema cells and are necessary for axolotl limb regeneration
• Establish a cell ablation system in the axolotl that can be combined with any Cre-specific line
• Provide a new database of the dynamics in CT cells expression over time
Given their importance, we characterized the molecular dynamics of CT cells over time and deposited this database into an interactive web platform 💻(microarrayct-murawalalab.mdibl.org)
We then eliminated CT cells by using the NTR/MTZ #ablation system. After the specific elimination of CT cells, limb regeneration was delayed or truncated, underscoring the necessity of these cells for #regeneration 🤯
We defined the dynamic changes of cellular identities within the blastema over time by using 10X #Xenium spatial transcriptomics. Immune cells predominate in the first stages, whereas CT cells gradually increment and become the predominant cell type (~73%) at the late-bud blastema stage 🤔.
Pre-print alert:
This is our latest work on limb regeneration. We found that connective-tissue (CT) cells are necessary for this process by using a combinatorial approach of #spatial transcriptomics and an #ablation system for the first time in the #axolotl!
👇🧵1/6
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Registration for the ISRB Madison Conference is now open. Early bird registration ends June 15th so don't delay. We also have a pre-meeting workshop for trainees. Hope to see you all in Madison!
Registrations are open for the EMBO Practical course on light sheet microscopy! Great opportunity to learn all kinds of light-sheet, as well as image postprocessing from the experts themselves.
meetings.embo.org/event/25-lsm
Peer review completed within 7 days!
Paying peer reviewers!
Yes, it's possible.
Fast & Fair peer review by @biologyopen.bsky.social
More innovation from @biologists.bsky.social
Details here: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
This is a cross section of an axolotl's zeugopod by @damgargar.bsky.social, shows the #nuclei (blue), muscles (yellow), and connective tissue (red). A #zeugopod is the middle segment of a vertebrate limb, allowing movements like flexion, rotation & extension.
#microscopymonday #standwithscience 🧪 🤝
This #microscopymonday image by Katelyn White is an HCR-ISH on an axolotl neural tube — a technique that amplifies the signal of #RNAtranscripts in cells and tissues (blue nuclei & magenta Shh gene). The Shh gene plays a crucial role in embryonic development. 🧪🤝 👩🔬
#standwithscience
The first original research paper from my lab is now out in @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Tracheal development is an amazing model to study morphogenesis. There are great works out there that show how this tissue elongates, interconnects, and forms branches (1/n)
Science thrives because of our dedicated researchers, students, supporters, and community members. At MDI Bio Lab, we believe in the power of discovery, education, and collaboration. Thank you for #standupforscience2025, believing in science, and being part of our community!
#standwithscience 🧪 🤝