International Society of Developmental Biology
LightNews LightNews
banner
isdb.bsky.social
International Society of Developmental Biology
@isdb.bsky.social
1.9K followers 670 following 68 posts
ISDB is a non-profit scientific association that promotes the study of developmental biology
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
isdb.bsky.social
International Society of Developmental Biology @isdb.bsky.social · Nov 15
Hello my lovely developmental biologists, The International Society for Developmental Biology is here with y'all in this #BlueSky. If you follow us on Twitter (we refuse to call it X), please drop us a follow here! Let's connect! #DevelopmentalBiology #cellbiology
Reposted by International Society of Developmental Biology
nicoleedwds.bsky.social
Animal caps are the original organoid!
cellsdev.bsky.social Cells & Development @cellsdev.bsky.social · 2d
A fascinating review on the role of Activin in organ induction. Isn't it wild that in Xenopus embryos, a piece of the animal cap can be induced with Activin at different concentrations and buffers to form the ❤️, kidney, the pancreas, head, tail, and even a whole embryoid 🤯:
doi.org/10.1016/j.cd...
Fig. 1. Animal cap assay and sandwich method as in vitro induction systems. In amphibians, a blastocoel cavity clearly forms inside the animal hemisphere during the blastula and early gastrula stages. The cap-like portion lining the roof of the blastocoel cavity is the animal cap. This region consists of a sheet of pluripotent cells, organized into one or several layers. In the animal cap assay, the animal cap was treated with a physiological saline solution containing inducing factors and then cultured. Depending on the type, concentration, and duration of exposure to the inducing factors, animal caps can differentiate into various cell types. In contrast, the sandwich method, involves culturing the inducer source in between two animal caps. In this technique, the sources of induction can include the dorsal lip of the blastopore (organizer), adult tissues, pelletized soluble factors, or animal caps pretreated with soluble factors. In this figure, activin is used as an example of an inducing factor. Fig. 12. Summary of the in vitro induction system using activin as an inducing factor. This in vitro induction system utilizes activin and retinoic acid as inducing factors to treat animal caps, employing techniques such as animal cap assay, dissociation/reaggregation protocol, and the sandwich method. By applying these methods, various levels of self-organization can be replicated and controlled in vitro, ranging from lower-order cell differentiation to higher-order tissue differentiation, organogenesis, and even the formation of fundamental body plans. Abbreviations: Dorsal [D], ventral [V], and retinoic acid [RA]. Fig. 11. Formation of embryoids by artificial activin concentration gradients. To create embryoids, animal caps were prepared through treatment with low (0.5–1 ng/ml), intermediate (5–10 ng/ml), or high (50–100 ng/ml) concentrations of activin. These three types of activin-treated animal caps were then sequentially arranged and cultured with untreated animal caps. After 3 days of culture, embryoids with distinct head and trunk-tail structures were formed (A). Histological sections revealed differentiation into head tissues, such as the cement gland [cg] and eyes, and trunk-tail tissues including the ear vesicle [ev], brain [br], notochord [not], muscle [mus], and gut (B). When newt embryos are used in similar combination cultures, neural plate structures forming the brain [white arrow] and axial structures forming the trunk-tail regions [black arrow] are sometimes observed (C). Fig. 7. In vitro heart formation and in vivo transplantation experiment. When treated with a high concentration of activin, the animal caps of Xenopus embryos did not differentiate into heart tissue. However, if the animal cap dissociates into individual cells before activin treatment and then reaggregates, it forms a beating heart [arrow] with 100 % efficiency (A). This heart expresses differentiation marker genes, such as Nkx2.5, GATA-4, Tbx5, MHCα, TnIc (cardiac troponin I), and ANF, none of which are expressed in an animal cap treated with activin alone, without dissociation/reaggregation (B). Electron microscopy reveals the presence of intercalated discs [id] specific to the cardiac muscle, along with visible mitochondria [m] and Z-bands [z] (C). When the reaggregated heart tissue is orthotopically transplanted into the cardiac primordium of a neurula-stage embryo, it integrates without rejection and continues to beat (D), although it does not persist through host metamorphosis. In contrast, when the reaggregated tissue is ectopically transplanted into the ventral region of the neurula, it begins to beat synchronously with the host heart and gradually reddens as it initiates blood circulation (E).
January 31, 2026 at 9:01 PM
Reposted by International Society of Developmental Biology
isdb.bsky.social
A whole embryoid is wild. Check out this review by Makoto Asashima et al.
cellsdev.bsky.social Cells & Development @cellsdev.bsky.social · 2d
A fascinating review on the role of Activin in organ induction. Isn't it wild that in Xenopus embryos, a piece of the animal cap can be induced with Activin at different concentrations and buffers to form the ❤️, kidney, the pancreas, head, tail, and even a whole embryoid 🤯:
doi.org/10.1016/j.cd...
Fig. 1. Animal cap assay and sandwich method as in vitro induction systems. In amphibians, a blastocoel cavity clearly forms inside the animal hemisphere during the blastula and early gastrula stages. The cap-like portion lining the roof of the blastocoel cavity is the animal cap. This region consists of a sheet of pluripotent cells, organized into one or several layers. In the animal cap assay, the animal cap was treated with a physiological saline solution containing inducing factors and then cultured. Depending on the type, concentration, and duration of exposure to the inducing factors, animal caps can differentiate into various cell types. In contrast, the sandwich method, involves culturing the inducer source in between two animal caps. In this technique, the sources of induction can include the dorsal lip of the blastopore (organizer), adult tissues, pelletized soluble factors, or animal caps pretreated with soluble factors. In this figure, activin is used as an example of an inducing factor. Fig. 12. Summary of the in vitro induction system using activin as an inducing factor. This in vitro induction system utilizes activin and retinoic acid as inducing factors to treat animal caps, employing techniques such as animal cap assay, dissociation/reaggregation protocol, and the sandwich method. By applying these methods, various levels of self-organization can be replicated and controlled in vitro, ranging from lower-order cell differentiation to higher-order tissue differentiation, organogenesis, and even the formation of fundamental body plans. Abbreviations: Dorsal [D], ventral [V], and retinoic acid [RA]. Fig. 11. Formation of embryoids by artificial activin concentration gradients. To create embryoids, animal caps were prepared through treatment with low (0.5–1 ng/ml), intermediate (5–10 ng/ml), or high (50–100 ng/ml) concentrations of activin. These three types of activin-treated animal caps were then sequentially arranged and cultured with untreated animal caps. After 3 days of culture, embryoids with distinct head and trunk-tail structures were formed (A). Histological sections revealed differentiation into head tissues, such as the cement gland [cg] and eyes, and trunk-tail tissues including the ear vesicle [ev], brain [br], notochord [not], muscle [mus], and gut (B). When newt embryos are used in similar combination cultures, neural plate structures forming the brain [white arrow] and axial structures forming the trunk-tail regions [black arrow] are sometimes observed (C). Fig. 7. In vitro heart formation and in vivo transplantation experiment. When treated with a high concentration of activin, the animal caps of Xenopus embryos did not differentiate into heart tissue. However, if the animal cap dissociates into individual cells before activin treatment and then reaggregates, it forms a beating heart [arrow] with 100 % efficiency (A). This heart expresses differentiation marker genes, such as Nkx2.5, GATA-4, Tbx5, MHCα, TnIc (cardiac troponin I), and ANF, none of which are expressed in an animal cap treated with activin alone, without dissociation/reaggregation (B). Electron microscopy reveals the presence of intercalated discs [id] specific to the cardiac muscle, along with visible mitochondria [m] and Z-bands [z] (C). When the reaggregated heart tissue is orthotopically transplanted into the cardiac primordium of a neurula-stage embryo, it integrates without rejection and continues to beat (D), although it does not persist through host metamorphosis. In contrast, when the reaggregated tissue is ectopically transplanted into the ventral region of the neurula, it begins to beat synchronously with the host heart and gradually reddens as it initiates blood circulation (E).
January 31, 2026 at 6:40 PM
isdb.bsky.social
A whole embryoid is wild. Check out this review by Makoto Asashima et al.
cellsdev.bsky.social Cells & Development @cellsdev.bsky.social · 2d
A fascinating review on the role of Activin in organ induction. Isn't it wild that in Xenopus embryos, a piece of the animal cap can be induced with Activin at different concentrations and buffers to form the ❤️, kidney, the pancreas, head, tail, and even a whole embryoid 🤯:
doi.org/10.1016/j.cd...
Fig. 1. Animal cap assay and sandwich method as in vitro induction systems. In amphibians, a blastocoel cavity clearly forms inside the animal hemisphere during the blastula and early gastrula stages. The cap-like portion lining the roof of the blastocoel cavity is the animal cap. This region consists of a sheet of pluripotent cells, organized into one or several layers. In the animal cap assay, the animal cap was treated with a physiological saline solution containing inducing factors and then cultured. Depending on the type, concentration, and duration of exposure to the inducing factors, animal caps can differentiate into various cell types. In contrast, the sandwich method, involves culturing the inducer source in between two animal caps. In this technique, the sources of induction can include the dorsal lip of the blastopore (organizer), adult tissues, pelletized soluble factors, or animal caps pretreated with soluble factors. In this figure, activin is used as an example of an inducing factor. Fig. 12. Summary of the in vitro induction system using activin as an inducing factor. This in vitro induction system utilizes activin and retinoic acid as inducing factors to treat animal caps, employing techniques such as animal cap assay, dissociation/reaggregation protocol, and the sandwich method. By applying these methods, various levels of self-organization can be replicated and controlled in vitro, ranging from lower-order cell differentiation to higher-order tissue differentiation, organogenesis, and even the formation of fundamental body plans. Abbreviations: Dorsal [D], ventral [V], and retinoic acid [RA]. Fig. 11. Formation of embryoids by artificial activin concentration gradients. To create embryoids, animal caps were prepared through treatment with low (0.5–1 ng/ml), intermediate (5–10 ng/ml), or high (50–100 ng/ml) concentrations of activin. These three types of activin-treated animal caps were then sequentially arranged and cultured with untreated animal caps. After 3 days of culture, embryoids with distinct head and trunk-tail structures were formed (A). Histological sections revealed differentiation into head tissues, such as the cement gland [cg] and eyes, and trunk-tail tissues including the ear vesicle [ev], brain [br], notochord [not], muscle [mus], and gut (B). When newt embryos are used in similar combination cultures, neural plate structures forming the brain [white arrow] and axial structures forming the trunk-tail regions [black arrow] are sometimes observed (C). Fig. 7. In vitro heart formation and in vivo transplantation experiment. When treated with a high concentration of activin, the animal caps of Xenopus embryos did not differentiate into heart tissue. However, if the animal cap dissociates into individual cells before activin treatment and then reaggregates, it forms a beating heart [arrow] with 100 % efficiency (A). This heart expresses differentiation marker genes, such as Nkx2.5, GATA-4, Tbx5, MHCα, TnIc (cardiac troponin I), and ANF, none of which are expressed in an animal cap treated with activin alone, without dissociation/reaggregation (B). Electron microscopy reveals the presence of intercalated discs [id] specific to the cardiac muscle, along with visible mitochondria [m] and Z-bands [z] (C). When the reaggregated heart tissue is orthotopically transplanted into the cardiac primordium of a neurula-stage embryo, it integrates without rejection and continues to beat (D), although it does not persist through host metamorphosis. In contrast, when the reaggregated tissue is ectopically transplanted into the ventral region of the neurula, it begins to beat synchronously with the host heart and gradually reddens as it initiates blood circulation (E).
January 31, 2026 at 6:40 PM
Reposted by International Society of Developmental Biology
cellsdev.bsky.social
A fascinating review on the role of Activin in organ induction. Isn't it wild that in Xenopus embryos, a piece of the animal cap can be induced with Activin at different concentrations and buffers to form the ❤️, kidney, the pancreas, head, tail, and even a whole embryoid 🤯:
doi.org/10.1016/j.cd...
Fig. 1. Animal cap assay and sandwich method as in vitro induction systems. In amphibians, a blastocoel cavity clearly forms inside the animal hemisphere during the blastula and early gastrula stages. The cap-like portion lining the roof of the blastocoel cavity is the animal cap. This region consists of a sheet of pluripotent cells, organized into one or several layers. In the animal cap assay, the animal cap was treated with a physiological saline solution containing inducing factors and then cultured. Depending on the type, concentration, and duration of exposure to the inducing factors, animal caps can differentiate into various cell types. In contrast, the sandwich method, involves culturing the inducer source in between two animal caps. In this technique, the sources of induction can include the dorsal lip of the blastopore (organizer), adult tissues, pelletized soluble factors, or animal caps pretreated with soluble factors. In this figure, activin is used as an example of an inducing factor. Fig. 12. Summary of the in vitro induction system using activin as an inducing factor. This in vitro induction system utilizes activin and retinoic acid as inducing factors to treat animal caps, employing techniques such as animal cap assay, dissociation/reaggregation protocol, and the sandwich method. By applying these methods, various levels of self-organization can be replicated and controlled in vitro, ranging from lower-order cell differentiation to higher-order tissue differentiation, organogenesis, and even the formation of fundamental body plans. Abbreviations: Dorsal [D], ventral [V], and retinoic acid [RA]. Fig. 11. Formation of embryoids by artificial activin concentration gradients. To create embryoids, animal caps were prepared through treatment with low (0.5–1 ng/ml), intermediate (5–10 ng/ml), or high (50–100 ng/ml) concentrations of activin. These three types of activin-treated animal caps were then sequentially arranged and cultured with untreated animal caps. After 3 days of culture, embryoids with distinct head and trunk-tail structures were formed (A). Histological sections revealed differentiation into head tissues, such as the cement gland [cg] and eyes, and trunk-tail tissues including the ear vesicle [ev], brain [br], notochord [not], muscle [mus], and gut (B). When newt embryos are used in similar combination cultures, neural plate structures forming the brain [white arrow] and axial structures forming the trunk-tail regions [black arrow] are sometimes observed (C). Fig. 7. In vitro heart formation and in vivo transplantation experiment. When treated with a high concentration of activin, the animal caps of Xenopus embryos did not differentiate into heart tissue. However, if the animal cap dissociates into individual cells before activin treatment and then reaggregates, it forms a beating heart [arrow] with 100 % efficiency (A). This heart expresses differentiation marker genes, such as Nkx2.5, GATA-4, Tbx5, MHCα, TnIc (cardiac troponin I), and ANF, none of which are expressed in an animal cap treated with activin alone, without dissociation/reaggregation (B). Electron microscopy reveals the presence of intercalated discs [id] specific to the cardiac muscle, along with visible mitochondria [m] and Z-bands [z] (C). When the reaggregated heart tissue is orthotopically transplanted into the cardiac primordium of a neurula-stage embryo, it integrates without rejection and continues to beat (D), although it does not persist through host metamorphosis. In contrast, when the reaggregated tissue is ectopically transplanted into the ventral region of the neurula, it begins to beat synchronously with the host heart and gradually reddens as it initiates blood circulation (E).
January 31, 2026 at 6:39 PM
Reposted by International Society of Developmental Biology
crisprflydesign.bsky.social
Make your gene knockouts more efficient with multiplexed Cas12a sgRNAs. Our new paper is out now, with tools available from @addgene.bsky.social , www.plasmids.eu and @vdrc-flies.bsky.social.

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

#CRISPR #geneediting #Drosophila 🧪🧬✂️🔬🪰

Summary 🧵 below.
Header image with the paper title: "Improved in vivo gene knockout with high specificity using multiplexed Cas12a sgRNAs"
January 29, 2026 at 9:26 AM
Reposted by International Society of Developmental Biology
jorgediazfuentes.bsky.social
So proud to share my paper on collective chemotaxis and force coordination in epithelial and mesenchymal cells, developed in the Mayor Lab and now published in JCB. Deeply grateful for everything I learned from Xenopus NC and the amphibian world, where adaptation is everything🐸
isdb.bsky.social International Society of Developmental Biology @isdb.bsky.social · 7d
A new paper published in @jcb.org by postdoc Jorge Diaz from the Mayor lab at UCL shows that during collective migration, epithelial-like clusters generate traction force mainly through cryptic protrusions at the centre, while mesenchymal clusters do so at their periphery:
doi.org/10.1083/jcb....
January 28, 2026 at 7:36 PM
Reposted by International Society of Developmental Biology
isdb.bsky.social
A new paper published in @jcb.org by postdoc Jorge Diaz from the Mayor lab at UCL shows that during collective migration, epithelial-like clusters generate traction force mainly through cryptic protrusions at the centre, while mesenchymal clusters do so at their periphery:
doi.org/10.1083/jcb....
January 26, 2026 at 9:30 PM
isdb.bsky.social
A new paper published in @jcb.org by postdoc Jorge Diaz from the Mayor lab at UCL shows that during collective migration, epithelial-like clusters generate traction force mainly through cryptic protrusions at the centre, while mesenchymal clusters do so at their periphery:
doi.org/10.1083/jcb....
January 26, 2026 at 9:30 PM
Reposted by International Society of Developmental Biology
isdb.bsky.social
Happy #FluorescenceFriday. Here are some labelled myeloid cells from frog 🐸 embryos migrating inside tissue.
📹: @anhhle2702.bsky.social, postdoc fellow at @ucl-cdb.bsky.social
January 23, 2026 at 6:12 PM
Reposted by International Society of Developmental Biology
cellsdev.bsky.social
Did you know that melanocytes, chondrocytes, and even osteoblasts can be differentiated from Schwann Cell Precursors? These cells don't only give rise to Schwann cells as the name suggests but many other cell types. Check out this interesting review by Marianne Bronner et al: doi.org/10.1016/j.cd...
Fig. 1. Embryonic origins of Schwann cell precursors. Transverse cross-section through the neural tube showing three pathways giving rise to Schwann cell precursors (orange) that have been discussed in the literature: 1. Neural crest cells (blue) migrate from the dorsal neural tube and give rise to Schwann cell precursors along the dorsal root along which they migrate into the periphery. 2. Neural crest cells (blue) migrate to the site of the future dorsal root entry zone (DREZ) or future motor exit point (MEP) where they give rise to boundary cap cells (green). These boundary cap cells then give rise to Schwann cell precursors along the dorsal and ventral roots. 3. The neuroepithelium (purple) is a currently contested source of Schwann cell precursors along the ventral and possibly dorsal roots. Arrows show direction of migration. (For interpretation of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article.) Fig. 2. Schwann cell precursor derivatives. Schwann cell precursors (orange) have been shown to give rise to a diverse range of cell types (blue). Grey circles represent axons, viewed in transverse cross-section. Arrows show direction of differentiation. (For interpretation of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article.)
January 23, 2026 at 6:34 PM
isdb.bsky.social
Happy #FluorescenceFriday. Here are some labelled myeloid cells from frog 🐸 embryos migrating inside tissue.
📹: @anhhle2702.bsky.social, postdoc fellow at @ucl-cdb.bsky.social
January 23, 2026 at 6:12 PM
isdb.bsky.social
Congratulations, @rashmi-priya.bsky.social. Rashmi's works focus on the mechanics of heart development using zebrafish as a model system. Fantastic achievement!
bscb-official.bsky.social British Society for Cell Biology @bscb-official.bsky.social · 11d
We are delighted to announce that @rashmi-priya.bsky.social from @crick.ac.uk has been awarded the 2026 Women in Cell Biology Early Career medal

You can read about Rashmi's prize-winning work on heart morphogenesis here:

bscb.org/wicb-early-c...
January 23, 2026 at 6:09 PM
Reposted by International Society of Developmental Biology
bscb-official.bsky.social
We are delighted to announce that @rashmi-priya.bsky.social from @crick.ac.uk has been awarded the 2026 Women in Cell Biology Early Career medal

You can read about Rashmi's prize-winning work on heart morphogenesis here:

bscb.org/wicb-early-c...
January 22, 2026 at 9:59 AM
Reposted by International Society of Developmental Biology
isdb.bsky.social
2-head frogs? 😲
cellsdev.bsky.social Cells & Development @cellsdev.bsky.social · 17d
A very curious paper from the De Robertis lab shows how Cerberus - a growth factor that inhibits Wnt signalling, and IGF - a growth factor that activates MAPK signalling, can synergistically induce a new head (aka ectopic archencephalic differentiation) in Xenopus embryos.
doi.org/10.1016/j.cd...
Fig. 1. IGF2 and Cerberus mRNAs cooperate in ectopic head induction in Xenopus embryos. Embryos were microinjected into the ventral marginal zone of a single blastomere at the 4- to 8-cell stage. (A) Uninjected control sibling at early tailbud stage (n = 81). (B) A single ventral injection of IGF2 mRNA caused a small ectopic head protrusion with a pigmented cement gland on the belly (n = 86, 68 % with ectopic structures). (C) Cerberus mRNA induced a secondary head-like structure (n = 78, 94 % with ectopic heads). (D) Co-injection of IGF2 and Cerberus mRNAs induced a large ectopic head with an expanded cement gland (n = 90, 98 % with ectopic heads). (E–H) Panoramic views of control and injected embryos. Injected mRNA doses per embryo were: Cerberus, 100 pg; IGF2, 2 ng. Results from two experiments. Scale bars are 500 μm (A-D) and 2 mm (E-H). Fig. 6. Dominant-negative IGF receptor 1 blocked ectopic head formation by Cerberus mRNA in single ventral injections. (A) Control embryo at stage 24 injected with LacZ (100 pg) mRNA but not stained for β-galactosidase (n = 50). (B) DN-IGFR (600 pg) and LacZ injected embryos (n = 20, all normal). (C) Cerberus (100 pg) injected embryos with ectopic heads (n = 56, 96 % ectopic heads). (D) DN-IGFR blocked Cerberus ectopic heads (n = 33, 88 % with no ectopic structures, 12 % with small cement glands). (E–F) LacZ staining for (A–D). Scale bar, 500 μm.
January 17, 2026 at 1:04 AM
Reposted by International Society of Developmental Biology
dev-journal.bsky.social
Our first issue of Vol 153 (2026) is complete!

On the cover: 3D image of the apical Drosophila pupal eye with depth-coding applied, showing a dome-like ommatidia.

See the Research Article by Bhattarai ( @abhibhattarai.bsky.social) et al. from @ruthjohnsonlab.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1242/dev....
3D image of the apical Drosophila pupal eye with depth-coding applied and a pronounced dome-like appearance of ommatidia, owing to the highly organized network of apical rib-like actin filaments (ARAFs)
January 16, 2026 at 2:46 PM
isdb.bsky.social
2-head frogs? 😲
cellsdev.bsky.social Cells & Development @cellsdev.bsky.social · 17d
A very curious paper from the De Robertis lab shows how Cerberus - a growth factor that inhibits Wnt signalling, and IGF - a growth factor that activates MAPK signalling, can synergistically induce a new head (aka ectopic archencephalic differentiation) in Xenopus embryos.
doi.org/10.1016/j.cd...
Fig. 1. IGF2 and Cerberus mRNAs cooperate in ectopic head induction in Xenopus embryos. Embryos were microinjected into the ventral marginal zone of a single blastomere at the 4- to 8-cell stage. (A) Uninjected control sibling at early tailbud stage (n = 81). (B) A single ventral injection of IGF2 mRNA caused a small ectopic head protrusion with a pigmented cement gland on the belly (n = 86, 68 % with ectopic structures). (C) Cerberus mRNA induced a secondary head-like structure (n = 78, 94 % with ectopic heads). (D) Co-injection of IGF2 and Cerberus mRNAs induced a large ectopic head with an expanded cement gland (n = 90, 98 % with ectopic heads). (E–H) Panoramic views of control and injected embryos. Injected mRNA doses per embryo were: Cerberus, 100 pg; IGF2, 2 ng. Results from two experiments. Scale bars are 500 μm (A-D) and 2 mm (E-H). Fig. 6. Dominant-negative IGF receptor 1 blocked ectopic head formation by Cerberus mRNA in single ventral injections. (A) Control embryo at stage 24 injected with LacZ (100 pg) mRNA but not stained for β-galactosidase (n = 50). (B) DN-IGFR (600 pg) and LacZ injected embryos (n = 20, all normal). (C) Cerberus (100 pg) injected embryos with ectopic heads (n = 56, 96 % ectopic heads). (D) DN-IGFR blocked Cerberus ectopic heads (n = 33, 88 % with no ectopic structures, 12 % with small cement glands). (E–F) LacZ staining for (A–D). Scale bar, 500 μm.
January 17, 2026 at 1:04 AM
Reposted by International Society of Developmental Biology
cellsdev.bsky.social
A very curious paper from the De Robertis lab shows how Cerberus - a growth factor that inhibits Wnt signalling, and IGF - a growth factor that activates MAPK signalling, can synergistically induce a new head (aka ectopic archencephalic differentiation) in Xenopus embryos.
doi.org/10.1016/j.cd...
Fig. 1. IGF2 and Cerberus mRNAs cooperate in ectopic head induction in Xenopus embryos. Embryos were microinjected into the ventral marginal zone of a single blastomere at the 4- to 8-cell stage. (A) Uninjected control sibling at early tailbud stage (n = 81). (B) A single ventral injection of IGF2 mRNA caused a small ectopic head protrusion with a pigmented cement gland on the belly (n = 86, 68 % with ectopic structures). (C) Cerberus mRNA induced a secondary head-like structure (n = 78, 94 % with ectopic heads). (D) Co-injection of IGF2 and Cerberus mRNAs induced a large ectopic head with an expanded cement gland (n = 90, 98 % with ectopic heads). (E–H) Panoramic views of control and injected embryos. Injected mRNA doses per embryo were: Cerberus, 100 pg; IGF2, 2 ng. Results from two experiments. Scale bars are 500 μm (A-D) and 2 mm (E-H). Fig. 6. Dominant-negative IGF receptor 1 blocked ectopic head formation by Cerberus mRNA in single ventral injections. (A) Control embryo at stage 24 injected with LacZ (100 pg) mRNA but not stained for β-galactosidase (n = 50). (B) DN-IGFR (600 pg) and LacZ injected embryos (n = 20, all normal). (C) Cerberus (100 pg) injected embryos with ectopic heads (n = 56, 96 % ectopic heads). (D) DN-IGFR blocked Cerberus ectopic heads (n = 33, 88 % with no ectopic structures, 12 % with small cement glands). (E–F) LacZ staining for (A–D). Scale bar, 500 μm.
January 17, 2026 at 1:03 AM
Reposted by International Society of Developmental Biology
cabd-upo-csic.bsky.social
#JobOffer

Join an exciting project in a growing team!

@sebioldev.bsky.social @izfs.bsky.social @segenetica.bsky.social @sebbm.bsky.social @isdb.bsky.social @the-node.bsky.social @pablodeolavide.upo.es @csicandalextrem.bsky.social
January 13, 2026 at 8:57 AM
Reposted by International Society of Developmental Biology
jcb.org
#Collagen IV intercellular concentrations mediate cell–cell #adhesion in the #Drosophila #adipose tissue. New study from Almasoud, Franz et al. @ucl-cdb.bsky.social finds that the adipose tissue has apical-basal cell #polarity, which regulates this adhesion. rupress.org/jcb/article/...
January 7, 2026 at 5:31 PM
Reposted by International Society of Developmental Biology
vmetzis.bsky.social
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
October 23, 2025 at 5:25 PM
isdb.bsky.social
Looks like a fantastic meeting. Register now.
bsdb.bsky.social British Society for Developmental Biology @bsdb.bsky.social · 24d
Don't forget to register for our upcoming Spring Meeting: 'Molecules to Morphogenesis'

Get your abstracts submitted by the 16th of January!

bsdb.org/meetings
January 12, 2026 at 1:12 PM
Reposted by International Society of Developmental Biology
bsdb.bsky.social
Don't forget to register for our upcoming Spring Meeting: 'Molecules to Morphogenesis'

Get your abstracts submitted by the 16th of January!

bsdb.org/meetings
January 9, 2026 at 2:20 PM
Reposted by International Society of Developmental Biology
bscb-official.bsky.social
Don't forget to register for our Spring Meeting: Dynamic Cell VI
A joint meeting with the @biochemsoc.bsky.social

Super early bird registration ends 21st Jan
December 18, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Reposted by International Society of Developmental Biology
jrmarmor.bsky.social
We are looking for a Bioinformatician (both graduate and postdoctoral levels) to join our lab. Please help us spread the word about this opportunity!

Applicants should submit their motivation letter, full CV and academic record to Juan R. Martínez-Morales: [email protected]
January 12, 2026 at 10:35 AM
Reposted by International Society of Developmental Biology
mikepiacentino.bsky.social
I’m thrilled to share the first preprint from the Piacentino Lab @hopkinsmedicine.bsky.social! We show that developing inner ear requires a secreted lipid chaperone, APOD, working in a positive feedback loop to amplify FGF/MAPK signaling. 👂 #DevBio Check it out! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Lipid-mediated reinforcement of FGF/MAPK signaling enables robust otic placode specification
The formation of cranial placodes requires groups of ectodermal cells to interpret inductive signals in a robust and organized manner, yet how signaling responses are coordinated across a developing f...
www.biorxiv.org
January 8, 2026 at 10:56 PM