Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Katja Röper @katjaroeper.bsky.social · 11h

Very sad news indeed…

MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology @mrclmb.bsky.social · 13h

John Gurdon, former Group Leader and Head of @cellbiol-mrclmb.bsky.social has died.
Despite calling himself a "total non-intellectual” his work to reprogramme somatic cells to pluripotent stem cells transformed the field of developmental biology.
More: www2.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/john-gurdon-...
#LMBNews

Black and white portrait of John Gurdon, 1971

Katja Röper @katjaroeper.bsky.social · 4d

Slightly confusing that the image is a developing Drosophila eye!

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Katja Röper @katjaroeper.bsky.social · 6d

Lovely summary of how the advent of confocal microscopy changed our research and ability to understand biology

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology @natrevmcb.nature.com · 7d

New Online! The advent of confocal laser scanning microscopy in biological research

The advent of confocal laser scanning microscopy in biological research

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, Published online: 01 October 2025; doi:10.1038/s41580-025-00905-5The advent of laser-scanning confocal microscopy revolutionized cell biology, offering unprecedented resolution and depth and enabling scientists to visualize cellular structures in 3D.

bit.ly

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Katja Röper @katjaroeper.bsky.social · 21d

Brilliant postdocs in my lab! Here they are, plus an undercover MPhil student, for Postdoc Appreciation Week! #LovePostdocs #NPAW2025

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Katja Röper @katjaroeper.bsky.social · Sep 8

Cool!

Markus Mukenhirn @markusmukenhirn.bsky.social · Sep 7

Check out this new paper on programmable cell culture matrix #DyNAtrix
www.linkedin.com/posts/activi...

Reconfigurable Microenvironments Uncover Mechano‐Sensing Timescales and Direct Cell Polarity | Elisha Krieg

Exciting new application of our programmable cell culture matrix #DyNAtrix. 🎉 By creating a dynamically reconfigurable microenvironment, we can now invert epithelial cell polarity and guide morphogen...

www.linkedin.com

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Katja Röper @katjaroeper.bsky.social · Sep 3

If you love cytoskeleton and tissue morphogenesis, have a read!

Development @dev-journal.bsky.social · Sep 1

Supracellular actomyosin assemblies: master coordinators of development

In this Review, Katja Röper @katjaroeper.bsky.social discusses supracellular actomyosin structures, tissues where they function, their known roles as well as potential properties

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

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Katja Röper @katjaroeper.bsky.social · Aug 27

Supracellular control and coordination of tissue morphogenesis, through supracellular actomyosin assemblies, that is what my lab @cellbiol-mrclmb.bsky.social @pdncambridge.bsky.social and I like to dig into at the moment! Fascinating and beautiful! journals.biologists.com/dev/article/...

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Reposted by Katja Röper

Andreas Prokop @poppi62.bsky.social · Aug 25

Dear [email protected], dear [email protected],
to learn more about the importance of #Drosophila and crucial role of @flybase.bsky.social, and how it gave rise to at least 9 Nobel laureates in Physiology and Medicine, please see this link:
droso4schools.wordpress.com/why-fly/

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Reposted by Katja Röper

FlyBase @flybase.bsky.social · Aug 15

We cannot provide invoices at present but are working on a system to do so in the near future. However, you will receive a receipt for your tax-deductible donation. Large teams of people work to keep FlyBase going, and the need is great, so please donate generously.

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Reposted by Katja Röper

Brian Calvi @briancalvi.bsky.social · Aug 15

Flybase is free to use but not free to make. It takes large teams of people and millions of dollars a year to create the knowledgebas and tools for fly research. Please donate generously.

FlyBase @flybase.bsky.social · Aug 15

FlyBase needs your help! We ask that European labs continue to contribute to Cambridge, UK FlyBase, whereas US and other non-European labs can contribute to US FlyBase. For more information and how to donate: wiki.flybase.org/wiki/FlyBase...

FlyBase:Contribute to FlyBase - FlyBase Wiki

wiki.flybase.org

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Katja Röper @katjaroeper.bsky.social · Aug 15

If you run a fly lab and have not yet contributed to save FlyBase, please look at our wiki page for the latest information!

FlyBase @flybase.bsky.social · Aug 15

FlyBase needs your help! We ask that European labs continue to contribute to Cambridge, UK FlyBase, whereas US and other non-European labs can contribute to US FlyBase. For more information and how to donate: wiki.flybase.org/wiki/FlyBase...

FlyBase:Contribute to FlyBase - FlyBase Wiki

wiki.flybase.org

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Reposted by Katja Röper

Cells & Development @cellsdev.bsky.social · Aug 15

For something as classic as the Spemann-Mangold organizer first discovered in amphibians, the existence of such an organiser in mammals remains elusive. In this thought provoking review by Kate Mcdole et al, they discuss the evidence for and against such organiser in mouse.
doi.org/10.1016/j.cd...

Cell migration and morphogenesis in the organizer.

The AVE and PrCP in the formation of the head in mouse.

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Reposted by Katja Röper

Alan Rusbridger @arusbridger.bsky.social · Aug 11

Letter of the day (in the Times)

130 2.5K 6.3K

Katja Röper @katjaroeper.bsky.social · Jul 1

Congrats to all newly elected Members!

EMBO @embo.org · Jul 1

Welcome and congratulations to the 60 new members and 9 associate members who have been elected to the EMBO Membership! This honour celebrates #research excellence and outstanding achievements in the #LifeSciences. 🧪

Learn more here:
www.embo.org/press-releas... #EMBOMembers2025

Outstanding life scientists elected to the EMBO Membership – Press releases – EMBO

Sixty-nine new members join the community of leading life scientists in Europe and beyond

www.embo.org

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Katja Röper @katjaroeper.bsky.social · Jul 1

In the current Cambridge temperatures, this is the only way to do lab meeting! And the first Röper Lab outing from PDN!

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Katja Röper @katjaroeper.bsky.social · Jun 27

Amazing when something like this comes through!

MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology @mrclmb.bsky.social · Jun 27

Mary Catchpole has become the first person to be treated for APDS, a rare inherited disorder identified by a collaborative Cambridge team, including Roger Williams’ group in the LMB’s PNAC Division.
Read more: www.independent.co.uk/news/health/...
#LMBResearch 🧪

Breakthrough for teen who lost four family members to inherited condition

Mary Catchpole, 19, has the same life-threatening genetic condition, activated PI3-Kinase delta syndrome (APDS)

www.independent.co.uk

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Reposted by Katja Röper

Sandra Iden @sandraiden.bsky.social · Jun 11

#Job alert: #Postdoc position in the Iden lab within the new #DFG #SPP2493 consortium #HetCCI @hetcci.bsky.social ci.bsky.social‬. Please share, or apply if you want to dissect epithelial:non-epithelial cell-cell interactions: https://shorturl.at/W3M5#CellCellCommunicationo#epitheliai#cellbiologygy

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Reposted by Katja Röper

HetCCI (SPP 2493) @hetcci.bsky.social · Jun 11

Proud to kick-off #HetCCI, a DFG-funded research consortium in Germany (Priority Programme #SPP2493 on heterotypic cell-cell interactions in epithelia). Follow us if interested in how epithelial cells interact with non-epithelial tissues in different settings! Webpage will follow asap. #cellbiology

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Katja Röper @katjaroeper.bsky.social · Jun 9

Hope your luggage gets there soon, enjoy the GRC!

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Katja Röper @katjaroeper.bsky.social · Jun 6

My pleasure! Great fun spending a day talking about lots of exciting project going on at the CABD!

Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo @cabd-upo-csic.bsky.social · Jun 6

Thanks for coming @katjaroeper.bsky.social 🤩

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Katja Röper @katjaroeper.bsky.social · Jun 4

European Fly PIs: please respond to the email we sent out yesterday and help save FlyBase!

FlyBase @flybase.bsky.social · Jun 3

We currently have a call for support that has gone out to European labs, to support FlyBase-UK. We are asking our colleagues from labs in the US and other countries to wait for a similar call to them that will go out in the near future, to support the US sites. We thank you for your patience.

Mark A. Hanson @hansonmark.bsky.social · Jun 3

URGENT: FlyBase has lost practically all its funding overnight; even user fees are tied up in denied grant funding. 🤬🤯

Any lab using @flybase.bsky.social please donate using the link in post below.

This incredible community, on whose backs our #Drosophila labs depend, can't be left out to dry.

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Katja Röper @katjaroeper.bsky.social · Jun 2

I’ll be in Sevilla to give a seminar on Friday, should be great fun, excellent science at the CABD!

Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo @cabd-upo-csic.bsky.social · Jun 2

#CABDseminars

"Mechanisms and Mechanics of Morphogenesis: the role of supracellular coordination" by Katja Roeper @katjaroeper.bsky.social @mrclmb.bsky.social

🗓️June 6th
⏰ 12 pm
📍Rosalind Franklin auditorium at CABD

Hosted by Acaimo González Reyes

@sebioldev.bsky.social

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Reposted by Katja Röper

Development @dev-journal.bsky.social · May 20

An interview with Helen Skaer

Helen was awarded the @bsdb.bsky.social‬ Waddington Medal, which recognises outstanding individuals who have made major contributions to UK Developmental Biology. Find out more about her research and what this award means to her:
journals.biologists.com/dev/article/...

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Katja Röper @katjaroeper.bsky.social · Apr 25

This will be a really interesting meeting, and in lovely Andalucia!

Rodrigo Fernandez-Gonzalez @rodrigofg.bsky.social · Apr 25

Interested in Developmental Mechanics??? We are organizing a mechanobiology workshop in Baeza, Spain, October 21-23, 2025. Come join us (and please help us spread the word)!!!

Program and application instructions for the 2025 Mechanobiology of tissue morphogenesis and disease workshop in Baeza, Spain, October 21-23. Apply at https://www.unia.es/estudios-y-acceso/oferta-academica/formacion-continua/workshop-mechanobiology-of-tissue-morphogenesis-and-disease

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Katja Röper @katjaroeper.bsky.social · Apr 23

Check out our latest study from the lab!

PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · Apr 23

How does transcriptional patterning regulate #SalivaryGland #morphogenesis? Annabel May & @katjaroeper.bsky.social use #scRNAseq of early morphogenesis of the #Drosophila salivary gland placode to reveal regulation by induction & exclusion of regulatory factors @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4cUw827

Top: Immunofluorescence images and matching schematics of the anterior ventral half of Drosophila embryos at the indicated stages, highlighting the cells of the salivary gland placode, labelled with fkhGal4 x UAS-srcGFP. All cell outlines are labeled for phosphotyrosine to label adherens junctions (PY20, magenta) and srcGFP is in green, the stage 10 panel is shown with increased exposure, other panels are identical exposure. Scale bar is 100µm. Middle panels are matched schematics, showing the position of the salivary gland placode in pale green, the area of initial apical constriction in bright green and the forming invagination pit in black. Lower panels show schematics of cross sections (positioned indicated by magenta dotted lines in middle panels) of the invaginating tube. Bottom: A salivary gland placode in the Drosophila embryo at the onset of tube morphogenesis, labelled for four jointed (fj) (cyan) and fkh (magenta) expression by HCR and with cell outlines labelled by PY-20, detecting phospho-tyrosine at adherens junctions (yellow).

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