Astrocytes do so much more than any of us thought - they even communicate among specific brain regions across hemispheres!
The journey to this paper spanned nearly a decade, but I'm most excited to see what everyone else does with the tools we've built. There's so much for all of us to explore!
Very happy to share this study from our group and colleagues now out in Science!
We found that in zebrafish, before the immune system is mature, gut epithelial cells perform immune functions by producing the cytokine IL-22 to shape the microbiota to promote early life gut function
#Zebrafish #Gut
![graphical schematic of the meninges on top depicting the three layers [dura, arachnoid and pia] and other immune and vascular cell types. Inset shows Claudin-11 junction proteins connecting two sides of arachnoid barrier cells
bottom schematic is the same but in inflammation with bacteria, junctions breakdown, depiction of cytokine release by vascular, meningeal and immune cells - at side of graphic is summary of defects we observe in infection: 'increased barrier permeability' 'mislocalization of Cldn11+ tight junction' 'BAM activation' and "increased inflammatory response'](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ghkjazitflwyaczzoo6mwmld/bafkreig7atwvlrm776nsb46y2ctlhldvpkornt4kfr33iptb7eaidm32hm)
graphical schematic of the meninges on top depicting the three layers [dura, arachnoid and pia] and other immune and vascular cell types. Inset shows Claudin-11 junction proteins connecting two sides of arachnoid barrier cells bottom schematic is the same but in inflammation with bacteria, junctions breakdown, depiction of cytokine release by vascular, meningeal and immune cells - at side of graphic is summary of defects we observe in infection: 'increased barrier permeability' 'mislocalization of Cldn11+ tight junction' 'BAM activation' and "increased inflammatory response'
🚨 New preprint from our lab led by Sophia Kim w/ @kellydoran.bsky.social group @cuanschutz.bsky.social -- using neonatal 🐭 model of bacterial meningitis ➡️ arachnoid barrier is leaky, Cldn11 junctions are disrupted & cytokines are part of the problem. Lots of 🤩🧠🦠🔬 & compelling data, check it out! 1/5
#FreehandFigureFriday continues...this from a figure I mocked up for a review but ended up on the 'digital' cutting room floor - scanning EM of the meninges of large mammals like dogs (this from PMID: 1094039) is really great, gives a great appreciate for 'smoothness' of SAS surfaces.
Check out the plasmids for pIGLET, a reproducible and efficient approach to generate zebrafish transgenic lines using site-specific recombination!
Collaborative work from @kendalllab.bsky.social 🐟
🔗 to preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Excited to share this collaborative work with @sarathomasy.bsky.social- spearheaded by Raneesh Ramarapu and William Stoehr- where we visualized the unique spatial localization of tubulin isotopes in neural crest-derived corneal tissues during development. 🤩
Big congrats to Dr. Len Zon for being awarded the 2026 @marchofdimes.org Richard B Johnston Jr, MD Prize for his work in #devbio. His pioneering research has illuminated how blood develops in embryos, leading to a deeper understanding of genetic blood diseases. www.marchofdimes.org/about/news/r... 🧪
New preprint out!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
One of the most salient lessons I learned in all my adventures with screening and protein engineering is the importance of context. The context in which you test a gene or protein determines what function it has.
We’re delighted to see this out today! Latest work from the lab reveals insights into the evolution of brain immunity and the developmental and evolutionary plasticity of lymphatic endothelial cells.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Modern biology research is biased towards investigating genes that are widely conserved and present in humans. What about genes that ARE widely conserved but NOT present in humans? Can genes missing from humans tell us something about what makes our biology different from that of other animals? 1/8
Developmental regulation of intestinal best4+ cells www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12...
“Here, we introduce the mini-golden system, a versatile Golden Gate-based subcloning platform that enables rapid assembly of donor constructs containing homology arms and a gene of interest.”
Updated approach from the lab of Junsu Kang at University of Wisconsin-Madison 🐟
Woow wooww,
just wowwww!
🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯
That is a very important reminder indeed! 👇🏻
Congratulations 🎉
Zebrafish are an excellent model for studying the development and function of blood and lymphatic vessels. Research in zebrafish has even led to treatments for lymphatic disorders in people. This image, taken using a powerful microscope that uses lasers to illuminate the fish, shows blood vessels (magenta) and lymphatic vessels (green) in the eye and head of an anesthetized, 6-week-old, transgenic zebrafish. Credit: Daniel Castranova, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH
#KnowYourZDM: In 2019, a 10-year-old patient w/ a life-threatening lymphatic disorder was losing hope. Zebrafish to the rescue! Scientists created zebrafish with the same gene mutation and found a melanoma drug that fixed the fish. Then, doctors used the same drug on the patient to save his life! 🧪
Live longitudinal imaging of meningeal cerebrovascular injury and its sequelae in adult zebrafish www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11....
Graphical abstract describing the main findings. Top, Nanog, Pou5f3, and Sox19b (NPS) work together for cellular reprogramming following fertilization of the egg and sperm in the embryo's maternal-to-zygotic transition. Clearance of the maternal program, plus activation of the zygotic and late zygotic genes expression programs later in development, together will enable gene expression programs towards cellular differentiation. In maternal-zygotic NPS (mzNPS) mutant embryos, there is a failure of reprogramming and subsequently no gastrulation. However, when mzNPS embryonic cells are transplanted into wild type embryos, some cells survive and form mixed cell states, likely due to failed nuclear and cytoplasmic reprogramming. We find that some gene expression states, including primordial germ cell-like and motoneuron-like cell states, are able to develop in vivo, bypassing the loss of NPS-mediated embryonic reprogramming.
What cell states are possible when they are missing key factors - Nanog, Pou5f3 (Oct4), & Sox19b (Sox2) - that are required for the first embryonic reprogramming steps? Follow along with our latest publication, finally out at doi.org/10.1016/j.ce... #devbio #reprogramming #zebrafish #embryo (1/6)
Compared to other publishers, The Company of Biologists is small fry with fewer than 70 staff supporting 5 journals from a single office. But, for over 100 years now, it’s punched above its weight in innovation, prestige and community support.
Congratulations!!! Thank you for the valuable advice. 🙏
Congratulations Elena !!! 🎉
1/9 Thrilled to share that our paper, “Origin of Ewing sarcoma by embryonic reprogramming of neural crest to mesoderm,” is now published in @cp-cellreports.bsky.social! @amatrudalab.bsky.social @crumplab.bsky.social www.cell.com/cell-reports...
Wonderful collaboration of Claire Arata and co-first-author Elena Vasileva from Amatruda lab. Claire provided the neural crest driver and Elena the EWS oncofusion. Best combination since PB&J. Amazing that expression of a single oncofusion in crest produces ectopic fins.
www.cell.com/cell-reports...
Congratulations 🎉
We are looking for a new technician to join our lab and gain some hands on #zebrafish and molecular biology experience. Interested parties should apply here: jobs.rutgers.edu/postings/259... Happy to answer any and all questions about the lab! #STEMJobs
Out @natcomms.nature.com:
our work on how the ❤️-supporting pericardium forms & acts in pediatric heart conditions.🎈🫀
Expanding our preprint & with our first HCR (thx to @thelovelylab.bsky.social!).
Congrats all! #devbio #zebrafish #CHD @cupediatrics.bsky.social @cudevbio.bsky.social
rdcu.be/eIJm5
Nice work from Val Wilson & co on neuromesodermal progenitors
SOX2/TBXT co-expressing cells are self-propagating bipotent NMPs
Increasing TBXT levels (not SOX2/TBXT ratio) switch NMPs from neural- to mesoderm-biased
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
According to news reports, NIH is on track to award nearly all of its FY25 budget. Program officers—working long hours despite staff losses—made it possible. Take a moment to thank your PO for their dedication.
Congratulations 🎊
Thank you @stemcellreports.bsky.social for featuring our work on the Neural Stem Cells Special Issue cover! www.cell.com/stem-cell-re... Kudos to lead author Sriivatsan G. Rajan for designing the image. Check out the wide array of interesting papers in this packed issue: www.cell.com/stem-cell-re...