EMBL DB unit
@embldbunit.bsky.social
Research in the Developmental Biology Unit focuses on exploring the rich diversity and complexity of living systems, taking into account their natural context.
What a year it's been at the DB unit @embl.org! 2025 brought us hard work, exciting discoveries, and numerous initiatives that advanced our science. As we wrap up this year, we want to wish everyone a restful and joyful winter break.
We'll be back in 2026, ready for new challenges. See you then! 🎉
We'll be back in 2026, ready for new challenges. See you then! 🎉
December 19, 2025 at 1:04 PM
What a year it's been at the DB unit @embl.org! 2025 brought us hard work, exciting discoveries, and numerous initiatives that advanced our science. As we wrap up this year, we want to wish everyone a restful and joyful winter break.
We'll be back in 2026, ready for new challenges. See you then! 🎉
We'll be back in 2026, ready for new challenges. See you then! 🎉
🎓 Congratulations to Victoria Witte from the Arendt group @embl.org who has defended her PhD thesis titled “A single cell transcriptomics investigation of the adult Platynereis dumerilii mushroom bodies” #DevelopmentalBiology
December 12, 2025 at 3:25 PM
🎓 Congratulations to Victoria Witte from the Arendt group @embl.org who has defended her PhD thesis titled “A single cell transcriptomics investigation of the adult Platynereis dumerilii mushroom bodies” #DevelopmentalBiology
🎓Congratulations to Adriaan Meiborg @ymeiborg.bsky.social, from the Vu group @hanhtkvu.bsky.social @embl.org who has defended his PhD thesis titled “A single-cell view of Schmidtea mediterranea growth dynamics” #DevelopmentalBiology
December 10, 2025 at 3:37 PM
🎓Congratulations to Adriaan Meiborg @ymeiborg.bsky.social, from the Vu group @hanhtkvu.bsky.social @embl.org who has defended his PhD thesis titled “A single-cell view of Schmidtea mediterranea growth dynamics” #DevelopmentalBiology
✨ This week's DB seminar was presented by Sosuke Fujita a postdoc in the Ikmi group @aikmi.bsky.social @embl.org. His research focuses on the role of neuropeptide signaling in development and regeneration using Nematostella as a model organism #devbio #regeneration #cnidarians
December 4, 2025 at 2:59 PM
✨ This week's DB seminar was presented by Sosuke Fujita a postdoc in the Ikmi group @aikmi.bsky.social @embl.org. His research focuses on the role of neuropeptide signaling in development and regeneration using Nematostella as a model organism #devbio #regeneration #cnidarians
✨This week at the DB Unit Seminar @embl.org, Gabriel Gastelum Urbina @gabyga16.bsky.social, a postdoc in the van Gestel Group @jordivangestel.bsky.social, presented her work on how predation shapes microbial community dynamics in soil #predation #microbialecology #microbialdynamics
November 27, 2025 at 7:43 AM
✨This week at the DB Unit Seminar @embl.org, Gabriel Gastelum Urbina @gabyga16.bsky.social, a postdoc in the van Gestel Group @jordivangestel.bsky.social, presented her work on how predation shapes microbial community dynamics in soil #predation #microbialecology #microbialdynamics
In this week's DB unit seminar @embl.org, Eva Pillai @evapillai.bsky.social , a postdoc in the Arendt, Diz-Muñoz @diz-lab.bsky.social and Brunet groups @thibautbrunet.bsky.social , shared insights on the role of cell surface mechanics in multicellularity, using choanoflagellates as a model organism
November 20, 2025 at 7:52 AM
In this week's DB unit seminar @embl.org, Eva Pillai @evapillai.bsky.social , a postdoc in the Arendt, Diz-Muñoz @diz-lab.bsky.social and Brunet groups @thibautbrunet.bsky.social , shared insights on the role of cell surface mechanics in multicellularity, using choanoflagellates as a model organism
✨This week at the DB unit seminar @embl.org, Noa Ottilie Borst, a PhD student in the Crocker group @justinmcrocker.bsky.social presented her work on cell-type-specific interallelic interactions, and how they simultaneously allow for robustness and evolutionary innovation.
November 14, 2025 at 11:29 AM
✨This week at the DB unit seminar @embl.org, Noa Ottilie Borst, a PhD student in the Crocker group @justinmcrocker.bsky.social presented her work on cell-type-specific interallelic interactions, and how they simultaneously allow for robustness and evolutionary innovation.
✨ In this week's DB unit seminar @embl.org, Hidenobu Miyazawa, a postdoc in the Aulehla group, shared insights on the role of glycolysis in mouse embryo axis segmentation #DevelopmentalBiology #Glycolysis #MouseEmbryos
November 6, 2025 at 9:57 AM
✨ In this week's DB unit seminar @embl.org, Hidenobu Miyazawa, a postdoc in the Aulehla group, shared insights on the role of glycolysis in mouse embryo axis segmentation #DevelopmentalBiology #Glycolysis #MouseEmbryos
✨Thomas Beavis, a PhD student in the Vincent group
@floravincent.bsky.social @embl.org , was our speaker at this week's DB seminar. He discussed his research on how diatom-ciliate symbiosis affects cell fate and function #symbiosis #marinebiology #protists
@floravincent.bsky.social @embl.org , was our speaker at this week's DB seminar. He discussed his research on how diatom-ciliate symbiosis affects cell fate and function #symbiosis #marinebiology #protists
October 31, 2025 at 10:59 AM
✨Thomas Beavis, a PhD student in the Vincent group
@floravincent.bsky.social @embl.org , was our speaker at this week's DB seminar. He discussed his research on how diatom-ciliate symbiosis affects cell fate and function #symbiosis #marinebiology #protists
@floravincent.bsky.social @embl.org , was our speaker at this week's DB seminar. He discussed his research on how diatom-ciliate symbiosis affects cell fate and function #symbiosis #marinebiology #protists
Soraya Zwahlen, a PhD student in the Vincent @floravincent.bsky.social group @embl.org, was our speaker at the DB seminar this week. She discussed a cell-ecosystem approach to studying marine microbial interactions under pollutant stress. #MarineMicrobiology #MicrobialInteractions
October 22, 2025 at 7:26 AM
Soraya Zwahlen, a PhD student in the Vincent @floravincent.bsky.social group @embl.org, was our speaker at the DB seminar this week. She discussed a cell-ecosystem approach to studying marine microbial interactions under pollutant stress. #MarineMicrobiology #MicrobialInteractions
Welcome on board, Corentin Bisot!
Corentin is a new postdoc in the van Gestel group @jordivangestel.bsky.social in the DB unit @embl.org.
He will study the link between multicellularity and the physical constraints of migration in soils.
Corentin is a new postdoc in the van Gestel group @jordivangestel.bsky.social in the DB unit @embl.org.
He will study the link between multicellularity and the physical constraints of migration in soils.
October 17, 2025 at 10:47 AM
Welcome on board, Corentin Bisot!
Corentin is a new postdoc in the van Gestel group @jordivangestel.bsky.social in the DB unit @embl.org.
He will study the link between multicellularity and the physical constraints of migration in soils.
Corentin is a new postdoc in the van Gestel group @jordivangestel.bsky.social in the DB unit @embl.org.
He will study the link between multicellularity and the physical constraints of migration in soils.
✨Luc Lederer, a PhD student in the Aulehla group, spoke at the DB seminar @embl.org this week. He investigates whether phase waves during somitogenesis contain functional information for tissue patterning, as well as how we can manipulate and understand the mechanisms behind them #DevBio
October 8, 2025 at 2:53 PM
The DB unit also celebrated Anne Ephrussi at this wonderful symposium! Anne was our unit head from 2007-2021. Congratulations on a remarkable career, Anne! 🎉
October 2, 2025 at 8:49 AM
The DB unit also celebrated Anne Ephrussi at this wonderful symposium! Anne was our unit head from 2007-2021. Congratulations on a remarkable career, Anne! 🎉
✨ Back from summer break with 2 great DB seminars @embl.org! Andrew Hogan (van Gestel group) on protist predation defences & Simon Knoblich (Aulehla group) on calcium waves in Medaka gastrulation. Exciting research happening in the DB unit 🔥 #DevelopmentalBiology
September 24, 2025 at 8:59 AM
✨ Back from summer break with 2 great DB seminars @embl.org! Andrew Hogan (van Gestel group) on protist predation defences & Simon Knoblich (Aulehla group) on calcium waves in Medaka gastrulation. Exciting research happening in the DB unit 🔥 #DevelopmentalBiology
It's been a busy month at the DB unit at EMBL #PhDdefence Simona Gioe', from the Aulehla group, successfully defended her PhD thesis, which was titled 'Investigating the functional role of oscillatory signalling via experimental entrainment of the somite segmentation clock'. Congrats, Simona 🥳🎓
August 1, 2025 at 1:52 PM
It's been a busy month at the DB unit at EMBL #PhDdefence Simona Gioe', from the Aulehla group, successfully defended her PhD thesis, which was titled 'Investigating the functional role of oscillatory signalling via experimental entrainment of the somite segmentation clock'. Congrats, Simona 🥳🎓
✨Andrea Zanon, a PhD student in the van Gestel group @jordivangestel.bsky.social, was our speaker at the DB seminar this week @embl.org. He talked about his project, which involves developing a synthetic soil assay to study the aggregative life cycle of Dictyostelium discoideum #lifecycle #amoeba
July 31, 2025 at 12:51 PM
✨Andrea Zanon, a PhD student in the van Gestel group @jordivangestel.bsky.social, was our speaker at the DB seminar this week @embl.org. He talked about his project, which involves developing a synthetic soil assay to study the aggregative life cycle of Dictyostelium discoideum #lifecycle #amoeba
🎓Congratulations to Camilla Autorino, from the Petridou group @nicolettapetridou.bsky.social @embl.org who has just defended her PhD thesis titled 'A closed feedback between tissue phase transitions and morphogen gradients drives patterning dynamics in the zebrafish embryo' #DevelopmentalBiology
July 30, 2025 at 1:33 PM
🎓Congratulations to Camilla Autorino, from the Petridou group @nicolettapetridou.bsky.social @embl.org who has just defended her PhD thesis titled 'A closed feedback between tissue phase transitions and morphogen gradients drives patterning dynamics in the zebrafish embryo' #DevelopmentalBiology
✨ In this week's DB unit seminar, Michael Zhao, a postdoc in the Aulhela group, shared insights on how he uses a combination of experimental data and theoretical models to study patterning and collective behaviour in the presomitic mesoderm #Patterning #CollectiveBehavior #Mesoderm
July 25, 2025 at 12:17 PM
✨ In this week's DB unit seminar, Michael Zhao, a postdoc in the Aulhela group, shared insights on how he uses a combination of experimental data and theoretical models to study patterning and collective behaviour in the presomitic mesoderm #Patterning #CollectiveBehavior #Mesoderm
🎉 Congratulations to Magdalena Schindler, from the Petridou group @nicolettapetridou.bsky.social @embl.org, who has just defended her PhD thesis titled 'An optimum cell cycle heterogeneity times tissue fluidisation at the onset of zebrafish morphogenesis' #PhDDefense #Zebrafish #DevelopmentalBiology
July 24, 2025 at 7:51 AM
🎉 Congratulations to Magdalena Schindler, from the Petridou group @nicolettapetridou.bsky.social @embl.org, who has just defended her PhD thesis titled 'An optimum cell cycle heterogeneity times tissue fluidisation at the onset of zebrafish morphogenesis' #PhDDefense #Zebrafish #DevelopmentalBiology
✨At our seminar this week, Luca Santangeli, a scientific officer in the Arendt group @embl.org, presented a new imaging and computational pipeline for investigating the evolution of cell types in the Platynereis Cell Atlas.
July 18, 2025 at 8:52 AM
✨At our seminar this week, Luca Santangeli, a scientific officer in the Arendt group @embl.org, presented a new imaging and computational pipeline for investigating the evolution of cell types in the Platynereis Cell Atlas.
We cannot believe the DB unit summer school "Transitions in developing systems: from theory to experiments" has already come to an end. A huge thank you to all the organisers, speakers, and trainers for making it such an exciting and inspiring course #EMBLDevBio @dev-journal.bsky.social
July 9, 2025 at 8:04 PM
We cannot believe the DB unit summer school "Transitions in developing systems: from theory to experiments" has already come to an end. A huge thank you to all the organisers, speakers, and trainers for making it such an exciting and inspiring course #EMBLDevBio @dev-journal.bsky.social
Time for a new practical at the DB unit summer school @embl.org ! This session features the sea anemone Nematostella and explores the larva-to-polyp transition driven by neuropeptide signaling. Thanks to the Ikmi group @aikmi.bsky.social 🤩 #EMBLDevBio
July 7, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Time for a new practical at the DB unit summer school @embl.org ! This session features the sea anemone Nematostella and explores the larva-to-polyp transition driven by neuropeptide signaling. Thanks to the Ikmi group @aikmi.bsky.social 🤩 #EMBLDevBio
Day 6 of the DB Unit Summer School at EMBL started with an insightful lecture by Caren Norden @nordenlab.bsky.social on the impact of nuclear properties on the behaviour of Zebrafish retinal neuroepithelia. #EMBLDevBio
July 7, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Day 6 of the DB Unit Summer School at EMBL started with an insightful lecture by Caren Norden @nordenlab.bsky.social on the impact of nuclear properties on the behaviour of Zebrafish retinal neuroepithelia. #EMBLDevBio
It's Planarian Time at the DB Unit Summer School!
Today's practical is being led by the Vu group @hanhtkvu.bsky.social and focuses on size-dependent physiological changes throughout the life cycle of planarian flatworms #EMBLDevBio
Today's practical is being led by the Vu group @hanhtkvu.bsky.social and focuses on size-dependent physiological changes throughout the life cycle of planarian flatworms #EMBLDevBio
July 5, 2025 at 3:56 PM
It's Planarian Time at the DB Unit Summer School!
Today's practical is being led by the Vu group @hanhtkvu.bsky.social and focuses on size-dependent physiological changes throughout the life cycle of planarian flatworms #EMBLDevBio
Today's practical is being led by the Vu group @hanhtkvu.bsky.social and focuses on size-dependent physiological changes throughout the life cycle of planarian flatworms #EMBLDevBio
There's always more to learn at the DB unit Summer School @embl.org ! After two engaging practical sessions yesterday from the Aulehla and Petridou groups @nicolettapetridou.bsky.social , today we will be diving into data analysis #EMBLDevBio
July 5, 2025 at 8:46 AM
There's always more to learn at the DB unit Summer School @embl.org ! After two engaging practical sessions yesterday from the Aulehla and Petridou groups @nicolettapetridou.bsky.social , today we will be diving into data analysis #EMBLDevBio