Ben Larson
@blarson.bsky.social
1.1K followers 1.1K following 43 posts
Protists, microscopy, biophysics, evolution. Interested in how cells control shape and movement https://www.benlarson.org Natura in minimis maxima Asst Prof, RPI | Postdoc, UCSF, Wallace Marshall | PhD, UCBerkeley, Nicole King | BA, Physics, Reed College
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blarson.bsky.social
What could be more exciting than watching Euplotes scurry around under the microscope? How about adding some raptorial predation by supergiant cannibal cells?

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Video by Vittorio Boscaro.

1/n
Reposted by Ben Larson
natclarke.bsky.social
🚨 My lab is hiring at all levels!

Interested in animal origins & evolutionary cell biology?

I'm recruiting a postdoc, PhD students & a research assistant to study the molecular evolution of cell adhesion using marine invertebrates + comparative genomics.

🔗: clarkelab.com/join/

Please repost!
Reposted by Ben Larson
thibautbrunet.bsky.social
Latest from ours: www.cell.com/cell-reports...

This is two stories in one: a case study/cautionary tale on developing genetic tools in new organisms, and the first hint at a gene regulatory network for choanoflagellate multicellular development (which turn out to involve a Hippo/YAP/ECM loop!) A 🧵
Reposted by Ben Larson
christlet.bsky.social
Beautiful drawing of ciliogenesis in airway cells from Sorokin, 1968: journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/.... Just shown on stage by @mahjoublab.bsky.social at #GEF25
Reposted by Ben Larson
djcohen.bsky.social
SCHEPHERD--the bioelectric cell herding platform built for YOU. Single cells, monolayers, organoids--this herds them all + new tricks. Plz try it-- we will *give* you parts! Teaser here of a steering a single cell. GS Yubin Lin's lifeblood with J. Yodh on piano; Celeste R. and Paul K. Thread 1/N
Reposted by Ben Larson
jasonwilliamsny.bsky.social
Please share with anyone who cares about NSF support for graduate students and take 30 seconds to sign and leave a comment.

The deadline for the 2025 Graduate Research Fellowship Program is about one month away and literally no one can apply. #NSFGRFP

jasonjwilliamsny.github.io/grfp2025/
An Open Letter to U.S. STEM Leadership on the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
An Open Letter to U.S. STEM Leadership on the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
jasonjwilliamsny.github.io
Reposted by Ben Larson
arnausebe.bsky.social
Happy to share the Biodiversity Cell Atlas white paper, out today in @nature.com. We look at the possibilities, challenges, and potential impacts of molecularly mapping cells across the tree of life.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Ben Larson
micromotility.bsky.social
Love #protists? Then you'd love this! Beautiful collection of hand-drawn critters represented here at the Oxford-Japan symposium on ethological dynamics in diorama environments sites.google.com/view/oxford-... #ciliates #testateamoeba #diatoms
Reposted by Ben Larson
computingcaitie.bsky.social
I am excited to share our new preprint on the CAGE complex, a mysterious hollow protein complex that I first saw years ago while surveying Tetrahymena ciliary lysate www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... #cilia #protistsonsky 🧬🧪
blarson.bsky.social
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guille-rochelle.bsky.social
Looks like I am late to this party but have exciting news. I’ve been awarded an ERC Starting Grant to study #XtrmCells! Thankful to @erc.europa.eus for this opportunity, and to my collaborators, mentors, and group for their support. Looking forward to exploring the mechanics of these cells!
Reposted by Ben Larson
katrinavelle.bsky.social
”Please inhibit responsibly: Natural and synthetic actin toxins as useful tools in cell biology”

I had a lot of fun going down different actin inhibitor rabbit holes with @onishilab.bsky.social on this perspective!

www.molbiolcell.org/doi/10.1091/...

www.molbiolcell.org/cms/10.1091/...
Reposted by Ben Larson
arnausebe.bsky.social
Registration deadline for @embo.org workshop EvoChromo extended until September 30.

meetings.embo.org/event/24-evo...
Reposted by Ben Larson
katelaskowski.bsky.social
FAT BEAR WEEK APPROACHES
washingtonpost.com
One of America’s most loved competitions is nearing. Get ready to binge on bear cams.

Fat Bear Week will take place from Sept. 23 to 30, with contestants going beast mode on the millions of sockeye salmon that run from Bristol Bay down the Brooks River.
Fat Bear Week is coming. Prepare to binge on bear cams.
Find out where to vote and how to watch your favorite bears of Katmai National Park and Preserve during Fat Bear Week 2025.
www.washingtonpost.com
Reposted by Ben Larson
neilshubin.bsky.social
Excited to be giving 4 lectures in Paris in October at the Collège de France. Free and open to the public!
denisduboule.bsky.social
‘Our Ancestors the Fish’, a course by Prof. @neilshubin.bsky.social, Univ of Chicago, invited Prof @college-de-france.fr. in Paris @psl-univ.bsky.social. Four conferences, free access, open to everyone, with Tiktaalik as a guest star. Friends, colleagues and fossils in Paris and around, please RT🥁
Reposted by Ben Larson
thibautbrunet.bsky.social
Beautiful story that combined mechanobiology, evolution, and the power of fly (opto)genetics to make sense of the cephalic furrow. It was a pleasure writing the News & Views. No doubt this is still just the beginning for the field of mechano-evo-devo! Hats off to all involved
paveltomancak.bsky.social
We are all super happy and proud to see our work on the function and evolution of the #cephalic #furrow published in @nature.com. Let me say a few things about the background and history of this work on the #Evolution_of_Morphogenesis (1/12)
Reposted by Ben Larson
mgstowers.bsky.social
Cnidarian-Microbe Interactions
Fully-funded postdoctoral position is available in the Gibson Lab at the Stowers Institute to investigate any aspect of cnidarian-microbe interactions. Strong background in coral symbiosis or eukaryotic microbiology preferred.
Contact Matt Gibson: [email protected]
Reposted by Ben Larson
nitmb.bsky.social
Join an exchange between data scientists, experimental biologists, mathematical modelers and biophysicists at the Machine Learning of Cytoskeletal Machines (Cell Migration and Mitosis) workshop!

Apply today at www.nitmb.org/cytoskeletal...
Reposted by Ben Larson
pierreramond.bsky.social
Hello there 🦋
Happy to share our piece "Towards a trait-based framework for protist ecology and evolution" in @cp-trendsmicrobiol.bsky.social

Let's build a unified trait 📏 database to unlock transformative insights into protist 🔬 ecology 🌍 and evolution ⏳

▶️ doi.org/10.1016/j.ti...

#protistsonsky
Reposted by Ben Larson
mjamy.bsky.social
Check out our new paper on adopting a trait-based framework for protist diversity! We make the case for a unified protist trait database, how to build it, and how it could transform research on protist ecology and evolution.
#protistsonsky
pierreramond.bsky.social
Hello there 🦋
Happy to share our piece "Towards a trait-based framework for protist ecology and evolution" in @cp-trendsmicrobiol.bsky.social

Let's build a unified trait 📏 database to unlock transformative insights into protist 🔬 ecology 🌍 and evolution ⏳

▶️ doi.org/10.1016/j.ti...

#protistsonsky
Reposted by Ben Larson
rikkigarner.bsky.social
Friendly reminder that the deadline to submit an abstract for talk at #cellbio2025 is TOMORROW, Wednesday, September 3, 2025 at 9 PM ET! Please consider submitting to our minisymposia "Physical Cell Biology from Molecules to Organisms (more details in the repost)
rikkigarner.bsky.social
Excited to announce our minisymp. “Physical Cell Biology from Molecules to Organisms” #CellBio2025 w/ Hernan Garcia and ‪@atmolines.bsky.social‬! Have an interesting story on how physical cell properties are controlled, coordinated across scales, or contribute to development and disease? (1/3)
Reposted by Ben Larson
raphclement.bsky.social
Mechanosensation and fast reorientation of ciliary structures: Marvin's work on the surprising locomotion capabilities of Trichoplax, an animal without neurons!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...