Thanks a lot Karina!

Thank you so much, very happy you liked it!

Thanks a lot, Antoine! Hope to catch up soon.

Oh thanks Alejo, that's very kind! And well, thanks for developing the approach, it's amazing to be able to use it in so many systems!

🥹🤍

I'm all ears. Let's chat soon!

Thanks! I'm so glad this GIF got to Bluesky too! What a privilege 😎

A special thanks to the incredible @crick.ac.uk facilities, HDBR and their donors, the @wellcometrust.bsky.social -funded HDBI consortium, EMBO, URKI and Wellcome.

None of this would have been possible without my amazing coauthors Jasper Depotter, Tom Frith, Arthur Radley, Stephanie Strohbuecker, Ana Cunha and Michael Howell. Special thanks to my mentor @jamesbriscoe.bsky.social for unwavering support and invaluable scientific guidance

This project let me explore some of my favourite questions: how progenitors generate diversity, how lineage sculpts organ complexity, and whether memory & trajectories leave a mark in final cell identity. Grateful for the journey so far, and excited to keep exploring these ideas moving forward!

Together
- We provide a new framework for spinal cord development based on modular lineage compartments, linking evolution→patterning→circuit assembly
- We show that genomic barcoding dissects lineages in complex vertebrate tissues at single-cell resolution and adapt it to human embryonic tissue

We found that by 6 post-conception weeks, most cardinal classes' fate decisions have occurred (remarkably early!).

The exception? The dI4/dI5 lineage decision, which shows similar dynamics between chick and human embryos, demonstrating deep evolutionary conservation.

We extended our approach to human embryos, developing a method to barcode cultured spinal cord slices (CS16-17, ~6 weeks post-conception). We traced lineages at single-cell resolution, opening a window into previously inaccessible human development.

We validated this dual-route mechanism in human ESC-derived cultures. Clonal labeling at different timepoints (day 14 vs day 20) revealed stage-dependent lineage output, matching the chick in vivo patterns!

We zoomed into dI4 & dI5, key (and very abundant!) players in pain and itch processing. They arise through DUAL developmental routes:
• Fast-differentiating unifated dp4 prog. → dI4 only
• Slower bifated dp4/5 prog. → both dI4 & dI5

Lineage & differentiation timing can shape subtype diversity