Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by James Briscoe

Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge @gurdoninstitute.bsky.social · 1h

It is with great sadness that we share the news of the death of our founder, colleague, mentor and friend, Professor Sir John Gurdon. His vision and dedication will continue to inspire generations of scientists.
🔗 www.gurdon.cam.ac.uk/nobel-laurea...

1 7 10

James Briscoe @jamesbriscoe.bsky.social · 23h

Very sad news, John Gurdon has died.

A developmental biologist's developmental biologist, Nobel prize winner

His work is the foundation of much of today's dev & stem cell bio.

An inspiration to many, including me. Always asking questions & wanting the answers

www.magd.cam.ac.uk/news/profess...

Professor Sir John Gurdon FRS (1933-2025) | Magdalene College

Magdalene College is deeply saddened to announce the death of Professor Sir John Gurdon FRS, who served as Master of the College from 1995 to 2002.

www.magd.cam.ac.uk

7 98 180

James Briscoe @jamesbriscoe.bsky.social · 2d

This year's Crick @crick.ac.uk PhD programme is open for applications

- £27,715 tax-free student stipend per year for 4 years
- Tuition fees paid
- Student visa fee & health surcharges covered

Deadline 5 Nov

We have a project available. For all the details visit:

www.crick.ac.uk/careers-stud...

Briscoe Lab | Cellular Dynamics and Pattern Formation in Vertebrate Development

www.crick.ac.uk

7 9

James Briscoe @jamesbriscoe.bsky.social · 5d

Mechanical constraints disrupt gastruloid polarisation without changing gene expression - uncouples morphogenesis & patterning

Gregor & co use tunable hydrogels to show cell motility, not gene expression, drives axis formation in gastruloids

journals.biologists.com/dev/article/...

Fine-tuning mechanical constraints reveals uncoupled patterning and gene expression programs in murine gastruloids

Highlighted Article: A bioinert confinement system enables dissection of how stiffness and timing shape gastruloid development, revealing uncoupling between polarization and transcriptional programs.

journals.biologists.com

1 10 37

Reposted by James Briscoe

The Francis Crick Institute @crick.ac.uk · 6d

Motivated graduates with backgrounds in biological or biomedical sciences, physics, chemistry, mathematics, engineering and/or computer science are invited to apply to our 4-year fully funded PhD programme.

Apply by 05 November 2025

www.crick.ac.uk/careers-and-...

PhD students

Our PhD programme attracts the brightest scientific minds and is an opportunity for talented people to embark on their career in biomedical research.

www.crick.ac.uk

16 12

Reposted by James Briscoe

MwahahahahahadScientist @mads100tist.bsky.social · 7d

It also makes me very happy @dev-journal.bsky.social @biologists.bsky.social planted a Hazelnut tree (#13987) in Derbyshire because of this article #DevBio🧪

A screen capture of The forest of Biologists, showing info about the Hazel tree "Large, usually multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub, found throughout Europe and cultivated worldwide for its nuts. Its soft, rounded leaves have a double-serrate margin and downy hairs. Clusters of yellow male catkins appear before the leaves in spring and release pollen for wind dispersal. The tiny, bud-like female flowers with red stigmas are found on". Ours is number 13987.

2 1 25

James Briscoe @jamesbriscoe.bsky.social · 7d

Meet the 2025 cohort of @dev-journal.bsky.social Pathway to Independence fellows

Read about the scientific visions of eight dev bio post-docs entering the academic job market

journals.biologists.com/dev/article/...

Pathway to Independence: a forecast for the future of developmental biology

ABSTRACT. In 2022, Development launched its Pathway to Independence (PI) programme, aimed at supporting postdocs as they transition to their first independent position. In 2025, we welcome our third c...

journals.biologists.com

17 34

Reposted by James Briscoe

Teresa Rayon @trayon.bsky.social · 10d

We've updated our first #preprint from the lab! A collaboration with @jamesbriscoe.bsky.social

🔥 now including in vivo 🐭&👤 embryo data

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

1 10 39

James Briscoe @jamesbriscoe.bsky.social · 9d

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...

Brachyury expression levels predict lineage potential and axis-forming ability of in vitro derived neuromesodermal progenitors

Neuromesodermal progenitors (NMPs) produce the spinal cord and musculoskeleton in the elongating anterior-posterior axis. In vivo, NMPs possess dual potency, coinciding with regions coexpressing SOX2 ...

www.biorxiv.org

7 27

Reposted by James Briscoe

The Company of Biologists @biologists.bsky.social · 19d

In our Forest of Biologists we fund the restoration and preservation of ancient woodland and dedicate these trees to our peer reviewers.

There are now over 10,000 trees for peer reviews!

Thank you to all our peer reviewers. Find out more:
forest.biologists.com

#PRW2025 @peerreviewweek.bsky.social

Lots of illustrated trees. A sample image taken from the Forest of Biologists website.

12 30

James Briscoe @jamesbriscoe.bsky.social · 15d

Great to see this from @vmetzis.bsky.social & co published

Dissection of CDX2 regulatory elements identifies a repressive element that converts to an enhancer with a nuclear receptor motif switch

www.cell.com/developmenta...

A dual enhancer-attenuator element ensures transient Cdx2 expression during mouse posterior body formation

Amblard et al. dissect the function of cis-regulatory elements regulating transient Cdx2 expression during mouse caudal body formation. They highlight the requirement of an attenuator, a transiently r...

www.cell.com

7 28

Reposted by James Briscoe

Development @dev-journal.bsky.social · 19d

Excited for the #CSHAmeeting on Human Development - From Embryos to Stem Cell Models in Suzhou, China? Our Editor, Peter Rugg-Gunn, is attending and has curated a collection of review-type and Research Articles on this topic: journals.biologists.com/dev/collecti...

2 11

Reposted by James Briscoe

The Francis Crick Institute @crick.ac.uk · 21d

NEW PODCAST: ‘A Question of Science’ with Professor Brian Cox.

In every episode, panels of scientists and experts answer audience questions about some of the biggest issues facing us today.

Listen to the first episode, ‘Can we live forever?’: lnk.to/AQOSAgeingBB

2 13 30

Reposted by James Briscoe

Development @dev-journal.bsky.social · 27d

Excited for next week's #AXON2025 #neuroscience conference?

To complement the meeting, our Editor Debby Silver @debbysilver.bsky.social has curated a collection of review-type and Research Articles on #NeuralDevelopment:

journals.biologists.com/dev/collecti...

3 12

Reposted by James Briscoe

Ollie Inge @oliveringe.bsky.social · 28d

1/7 Really happy to see my PhD work published in ✨Developmental Cell✨ today! We find human endoderm is specified by two developmental trajectories 🔀, and the choice between alternate routes is dictated by the combinatorial BMP4/Activin signalling. www.cell.com/developmenta...

Combinatorial BMP4 and activin direct the choice between alternate routes to endoderm in a stem cell model of human gastrulation

Inge et al. show that human endoderm originates from two converging developmental routes with distinct dynamics and efficiencies yet similar developmental potential. Combinatorial activin and BMP4 sig...

www.cell.com

6 28 78

James Briscoe @jamesbriscoe.bsky.social · Sep 4

I do miss the view from my lab on the top floor, but not the rain that came through the window frames if the wind was in the wrong direction.

1 1

Reposted by James Briscoe

the Node @the-node.bsky.social · Sep 4

👋Introducing Ingrid - the new Reviews Editor for @dev-journal.bsky.social

thenode.biologists.com/introducing-...

1 7 23

James Briscoe @jamesbriscoe.bsky.social · Sep 4

On 4 September 2000 I arrived at MRC-NIMR Mil Hill, feeling a little anxious and out of my depth, for my first day as a group leader

Twenty five years later, not much has changed. Still trying to figure out what I'm meant to be doing and hoping not to be found out

5 72

James Briscoe @jamesbriscoe.bsky.social · Sep 3

Read BSDB Beddington Medal winner @rorymaizels.bsky.social interview with @the-node.bsky.social

Discussing his journey from undergraduate to PhD and beyond

the Node @the-node.bsky.social · Sep 2

👀Interview with @bsdb.bsky.social Beddington medal winner @rorymaizels.bsky.social

We caught up with Rory to discuss his career path, his PhD with @jamesbriscoe.bsky.social and what he is excited about in #devbio.
thenode.biologists.com/an-interview...

An interview with BSDB Beddington medal winner Rory Maizels - the Node

The 2025 BSDB Beddington Medal winner was Rory Maizels, who completed his PhD with James Briscoe at the Francis Crick Institute in London, UK. In this interview, we hear about Rory's career path, his ...

thenode.biologists.com

5

Reposted by James Briscoe

the Node @the-node.bsky.social · Sep 2

👀Interview with @bsdb.bsky.social Beddington medal winner @rorymaizels.bsky.social

We caught up with Rory to discuss his career path, his PhD with @jamesbriscoe.bsky.social and what he is excited about in #devbio.
thenode.biologists.com/an-interview...

An interview with BSDB Beddington medal winner Rory Maizels - the Node

The 2025 BSDB Beddington Medal winner was Rory Maizels, who completed his PhD with James Briscoe at the Francis Crick Institute in London, UK. In this interview, we hear about Rory's career path, his ...

thenode.biologists.com

4 7

James Briscoe @jamesbriscoe.bsky.social · Sep 1

Exciting day for @crick.ac.uk today: Edith Heard takes over as Director

We're looking forward to this new chapter in the story

www.crick.ac.uk/about-us/lea...

Edith Heard

www.crick.ac.uk

1 20 92

Reposted by James Briscoe

Richard Sever @richardsever.bsky.social · Aug 27

Very honored to receive the Royal Society Research Culture Award - this represents the work of a great team who've worked non-stop since we launched bioRxiv in 2013 royalsociety.org/news/2025/08... www.cshl.edu/inglis-and-s...

Invisibility cloak pioneer Sir John Pendry awarded Royal Society’s top prize | Royal Society

The Royal Society announces the medals and awards recipients 2025

royalsociety.org

42 55 340

Reposted by James Briscoe

Dirk Benzinger @dbenzinger.bsky.social · Aug 27

Super excited that our latest work is out!

We use optogenetics to dynamically control and study the formation of morphogen gradients.

If you are interested in optogenetic tools and/or how cells shape and process extracellular signals, check out @jamesbriscoe.bsky.social's thread and the paper.

James Briscoe @jamesbriscoe.bsky.social · Aug 26

Our latest: We developed a chemo-optogenetic system for precise spatiotemporal control of morphogen production. Using dual light + small molecule control of Sonic Hedgehog production, we recapitulated neural tube patterning in vitro & measured spread of Shh

🧵

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Investigating morphogen and patterning dynamics with optogenetic control of morphogen production

Morphogen gradients provide the patterning cues that instruct cell fate decisions during development. Here, we establish an optogenetic system for the…

www.sciencedirect.com

2 11 32

Reposted by James Briscoe

Joaquina Delas @joadelas.bsky.social · Aug 26

Check out the latest work by @dbenzinger.bsky.social and @jamesbriscoe.bsky.social !

Building gradients in space and time.

I am extremely biased but the Dec 15 issue of Dev Cell is 🔥🔥

James Briscoe @jamesbriscoe.bsky.social · Aug 26

Our latest: We developed a chemo-optogenetic system for precise spatiotemporal control of morphogen production. Using dual light + small molecule control of Sonic Hedgehog production, we recapitulated neural tube patterning in vitro & measured spread of Shh

🧵

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Investigating morphogen and patterning dynamics with optogenetic control of morphogen production

Morphogen gradients provide the patterning cues that instruct cell fate decisions during development. Here, we establish an optogenetic system for the…

www.sciencedirect.com

5 26

James Briscoe @jamesbriscoe.bsky.social · Aug 26

Yeah, interesting questions. On the list, but easier to propose than to do....

1 1