Lori O'Brien
@llobrienlab.bsky.social
Dev bio, cell bio, stem cells, regen med, all things kidney. Punk rock and whisky enthusiast. Personal account and opinions. #firstgen
It’s certainly been a year, but I’m incredibly grateful that earlier in 2025 I was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure! Huge thanks to you all for promoting our work here and on the other site, for talk invites, for writing letters of support, and to the lab for all their contributions. 🥂
December 31, 2025 at 2:19 PM
It’s certainly been a year, but I’m incredibly grateful that earlier in 2025 I was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure! Huge thanks to you all for promoting our work here and on the other site, for talk invites, for writing letters of support, and to the lab for all their contributions. 🥂
Durham, NC about 10 minutes ago
November 13, 2025 at 3:08 AM
Durham, NC about 10 minutes ago
Flashback #FluorescenceFriday to some of the first light-sheet imaging we were doing. Video shows the collecting duct system of the developing kidney labeled with a pan-cytokeratin antibody. Courtesy of former talented technician Deanna Hardesty.
November 7, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Flashback #FluorescenceFriday to some of the first light-sheet imaging we were doing. Video shows the collecting duct system of the developing kidney labeled with a pan-cytokeratin antibody. Courtesy of former talented technician Deanna Hardesty.
Sharing this excellent review now out from postdoc Sarah McLarnon! Lots of useful info on 3D imaging, quantification of imaging data, and how this has been applied to the kidney. And since it's #FluorescenceFriday, sharing a figure with our own imaging data!
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
October 3, 2025 at 11:29 PM
Sharing this excellent review now out from postdoc Sarah McLarnon! Lots of useful info on 3D imaging, quantification of imaging data, and how this has been applied to the kidney. And since it's #FluorescenceFriday, sharing a figure with our own imaging data!
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
And a zoomed view of the intricate collecting system.
September 26, 2025 at 5:51 PM
And a zoomed view of the intricate collecting system.
For this #FluorescenceFriday, a gorgeous image of an adult mouse kidney labeled with AQP2 and alpha SMA antibodies. AQP2 (green) marks the collecting duct and distal connecting segment while SMA marks the arterial tree. Courtesy of talented postdoc Sarah McLarnon.
September 26, 2025 at 5:51 PM
For this #FluorescenceFriday, a gorgeous image of an adult mouse kidney labeled with AQP2 and alpha SMA antibodies. AQP2 (green) marks the collecting duct and distal connecting segment while SMA marks the arterial tree. Courtesy of talented postdoc Sarah McLarnon.
Rescued these two beauties today, one stuck in the parking garage stairwell and one from inside the house (and rescued from 3 very interested cats)
September 26, 2025 at 1:23 AM
Rescued these two beauties today, one stuck in the parking garage stairwell and one from inside the house (and rescued from 3 very interested cats)
❤️ I have one too and love it!
September 23, 2025 at 10:46 PM
❤️ I have one too and love it!
They managed to perform somite transplants 😱
July 29, 2025 at 6:58 PM
They managed to perform somite transplants 😱
Surprise catch while surf fishing! No baby sharks harmed, was safely released back into the ocean. 🦈
July 2, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Surprise catch while surf fishing! No baby sharks harmed, was safely released back into the ocean. 🦈
As vascular density can decrease with age, we looked at older animals. Interestingly, we found better preservation of perfused vasculature in the older mutant mice.
June 20, 2025 at 8:06 PM
As vascular density can decrease with age, we looked at older animals. Interestingly, we found better preservation of perfused vasculature in the older mutant mice.
Post-ischemia the vasculature appears comparable in both controls and mutants. No significant loss in density. The only visible difference is the mispatterning.
June 20, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Post-ischemia the vasculature appears comparable in both controls and mutants. No significant loss in density. The only visible difference is the mispatterning.
What about after a moderate acute ischemic injury? Are the kidneys with vascular mispatterning more susceptible? Surprisingly, the mistpatterned mutants of both sexes are better protected! There is less tubular injury and kidney function is improved.
June 20, 2025 at 8:06 PM
What about after a moderate acute ischemic injury? Are the kidneys with vascular mispatterning more susceptible? Surprisingly, the mistpatterned mutants of both sexes are better protected! There is less tubular injury and kidney function is improved.
We followed up the adults and investigated how the kidneys appear histologically and whether physiological function is altered. It all looks normal, for both males and females.
June 20, 2025 at 8:06 PM
We followed up the adults and investigated how the kidneys appear histologically and whether physiological function is altered. It all looks normal, for both males and females.
In our 2023 paper we found that deletion of the guidance cue netrin-1 from stromal progenitors of the developing kidney leads to stochastic vascular patterning. We showed that the altered patterning persists in the adult kidney at 2-3 months of age, although other vascular metrics were similar.
June 20, 2025 at 8:06 PM
In our 2023 paper we found that deletion of the guidance cue netrin-1 from stromal progenitors of the developing kidney leads to stochastic vascular patterning. We showed that the altered patterning persists in the adult kidney at 2-3 months of age, although other vascular metrics were similar.
For #FluorescenceFriday I'm sharing the fantastic work of postdoc Sarah McLarnon! A follow up to our '23 Development paper where we asked: Does precise vascular patterning matter for function and what happens after ischemic injury? The results were surprising! journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10....
June 20, 2025 at 8:06 PM
For #FluorescenceFriday I'm sharing the fantastic work of postdoc Sarah McLarnon! A follow up to our '23 Development paper where we asked: Does precise vascular patterning matter for function and what happens after ischemic injury? The results were surprising! journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10....
Evening visitor to the feeder showing off the ruby throat 😍
May 18, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Evening visitor to the feeder showing off the ruby throat 😍
My annual Valentine’s post of this image that happens to land on #FluorescenceFriday this year! An axon approaching a kidney glomerulus doing its best to look like a rose.
February 14, 2025 at 12:04 PM
My annual Valentine’s post of this image that happens to land on #FluorescenceFriday this year! An axon approaching a kidney glomerulus doing its best to look like a rose.
Nerves and glomeruli in the developing kidney for this #FluorescenceFriday
January 25, 2025 at 2:22 AM
Nerves and glomeruli in the developing kidney for this #FluorescenceFriday
This morning’s sunrise ahead of the winter storm was 😍
January 10, 2025 at 12:40 PM
This morning’s sunrise ahead of the winter storm was 😍
Jumping to this platform I discovered there is a #3DThursday preceding #FluorescenceFriday! Here’s the arterial tree of a kidney labeled by Evans blue.
November 22, 2024 at 1:57 AM
Jumping to this platform I discovered there is a #3DThursday preceding #FluorescenceFriday! Here’s the arterial tree of a kidney labeled by Evans blue.
For all those interested in vascularizing organoids, check out this great paper from Maggiore et al on their inducible vascularized kidney organoid model and my accompanying commentary!
www.kidney-international.org/article/S008...
www.kidney-international.org/article/S008...
www.kidney-international.org/article/S008...
www.kidney-international.org/article/S008...
November 20, 2024 at 9:28 PM
For all those interested in vascularizing organoids, check out this great paper from Maggiore et al on their inducible vascularized kidney organoid model and my accompanying commentary!
www.kidney-international.org/article/S008...
www.kidney-international.org/article/S008...
www.kidney-international.org/article/S008...
www.kidney-international.org/article/S008...
Inaugural post showcasing our imaging and interests in the kidney from development to disease! Looking forward to building a great science community and network here.
November 19, 2024 at 3:46 PM
Inaugural post showcasing our imaging and interests in the kidney from development to disease! Looking forward to building a great science community and network here.