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Reposted by Marta Shahbazi

MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology @mrclmb.bsky.social · 21d

🎉 Happy Postdoc Appreciation Week! 🎉
As LMB Group Leaders @kellythd-nguyen.bsky.social, @brfalcon.bsky.social & @marta-shahbazi.bsky.social attest, our postdocs are at the heart of our research community and shape everything we do.
Thank you postdocs!
#PostdocAppreciationWeek #PAW25

We are deeply grateful to the incredible postdocs in our labs, who’s creativity and dedication push the boundaries of research every day and who’s energy makes the LMB such a fun and inspiring place. The future of science is bright!
Kelly Nguyen
LMB Group Leader

Thank you to all the postdocs in our group, past and present. It is a privilege to work with such an excellent team of scientists.
Benjamin Ryskeldi-Falcon
LMB Group Leader

I am grateful to all the amazing postdocs in my lab. They are great scientists, colleagues, and mentors. Our research wouldn’t be possible without them!
Marta Shahbazi
LMB Group Leader

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Marta Shahbazi @marta-shahbazi.bsky.social · Sep 8

I could not have summarised our article better than @katherine-brown.bsky.social!! Please see below and keep reading if you are interested in human embryo research policy. It was such a pleasure to write this piece with Susana, Mina and Catello.

Katherine Brown @katherine-brown.bsky.social · Sep 8

Just out in @dev-journal.bsky.social - important discussion on the availability of human embryos for research. Thanks @marta-shahbazi.bsky.social and co-authors for contributing this: journals.biologists.com/dev/article/...

Frozen potential: embryo research at the crossroads of ethics, regulation and scientific opportunity

ABSTRACT. In an era of expanding reproductive possibilities, the human embryo has come to represent both immense potential and profound constraint. Advances in medically assisted reproduction (MAR) ha...

journals.biologists.com

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Marta Shahbazi @marta-shahbazi.bsky.social · Aug 16

"With debate growing around whether the “14-day rule” on human embryo research remains fit for purpose, the need for inclusive public dialogue is more important than ever".
www.nuffieldbioethics.org/news-blog/if...

If it’s time to revisit the 14-day rule, it’s also time to engage the public - Nuffield Council on Bioethics

Molly Gray, Public Engagement Manager at the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, introduces our upcoming public dialogue and discusses the importance of engaging the public in conversations around the 14-d...

www.nuffieldbioethics.org

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Marta Shahbazi @marta-shahbazi.bsky.social · Aug 9

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

A blastocyst-derived in vitro model of the human chorion

The placenta supports the foetus by mediating nutrient and gas exchange, hormone production, and immune protection. Yet, human placental biology remains poorly understood due to limited in vitro model...

www.biorxiv.org

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Marta Shahbazi @marta-shahbazi.bsky.social · Aug 9

🤩 Very excited to share our new work! We have derived euploid and aneuploid trophoblast organoids and extra-embryonic mesoderm cell lines from early human embryos. In doing so, we have characterised the tissue requirements for their specification. If you want to know more, continue reading….

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Marta Shahbazi @marta-shahbazi.bsky.social · Jun 27

This is why I am very excited to be part of a group that will oversee a public dialogue about rewriting the day 14 rule, organised by the ‪@nuffieldbioethics.bsky.social‬. You can read more about it here: www.nuffieldbioethics.org/project/revi...

Reviewing the 14-day rule for human embryo research - Nuffield Council on Bioethics

Exploring arguments for and against extending the 14-day time limit for human embryo research.

www.nuffieldbioethics.org

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Marta Shahbazi @marta-shahbazi.bsky.social · Jun 27

I recently listened to a fantastic podcast on @radiolab.bsky.social about the lack of public engagement during the AIDS epidemic. Those affected felt unheard and abandoned. As scientists, we have a responsibility to engage with the public and hear their views.

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Marta Shahbazi @marta-shahbazi.bsky.social · Jun 27

Very cool finding! www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Apical size reduction by macropinocytosis alleviates tissue crowding - Nature Communications

This study reveals that epithelial cells can reduce their apical surface area via macropinocytosis to relieve tissue crowding, offering a reversible alternative to cell extrusion and highlighting a ne...

www.nature.com

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Marta Shahbazi @marta-shahbazi.bsky.social · Jun 27

Congratulations!!!

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Reposted by Marta Shahbazi

Philip Ball @philipcball.bsky.social · Jun 27

It's not clear what this means. So Nature Springer journals, including Nature and Scientific American, won't be available at the NIH? Is the next step to prohibit NIH staff from publishing in Nature? And you know the Nazis cancelled Nature too, right?
www.axios.com/2025/06/25/t...

Scoop: Trump admin cuts contracts with scientific publishing giant

The administration has questioned editorial practices and whether journals are partisans in scientific debates

www.axios.com

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Marta Shahbazi @marta-shahbazi.bsky.social · Jun 19

Fantastic news! Congratulations Kelly!

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Marta Shahbazi @marta-shahbazi.bsky.social · Jun 19

Beautiful!

Esteban Hoijman @estebanhoijman.bsky.social · Jun 18

How innate immunity starts? Early embryos eliminate bacterial infections by epithelial phagocytosis, a conserved process from zebrafish to human embryos. Check our story:
www.cell.com/cell-host-mi...

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Reposted by Marta Shahbazi

My Anh Truong @myanhtruong.bsky.social · Jun 1

Had so much fun the past few weeks playing around with human trophoblast stem cells and organoids in Cambridge! Thanks @marta-shahbazi.bsky.social for hosting me, @lucaschwarz.bsky.social for all his experimental wisdom, and everybody at @cellbiol-mrclmb.bsky.social for making me feel at home!

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Marta Shahbazi @marta-shahbazi.bsky.social · May 28

Has April Fool’s day been moved to May???

The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · May 28

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said that he could bar government scientists from publishing in the world’s leading medical journals, instead proposing the creation of “in-house” publications by his agency.

RFK Jr. says he may bar scientists from publishing in top medical journals

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took aim at reputed journals such as the Lancet and said the agency will create “in-house” publications instead.

www.washingtonpost.com

Marta Shahbazi @marta-shahbazi.bsky.social · May 21

Enhorabuena!!!!

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Reposted by Marta Shahbazi

Young Embryologist Network @yen-network.bsky.social · May 19

Luca Schwarz from @cellbiol-mrclmb.bsky.social
presented his blastocyst-derived trophoblast organoid as an in vitro model of human placenta to investigate ExMe (extraembryonic mesenchyme)

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Marta Shahbazi @marta-shahbazi.bsky.social · May 19

Congrats Silvia and all the team! Such a great achievement!

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Marta Shahbazi @marta-shahbazi.bsky.social · May 19

Busy day for our lab! If you want to know more about our placental organoid work don’t miss @lucaschwarz.bsky.social’s talk at @yen-network.bsky.social. Miguel, a postdoc from the lab, will talk about his PhD work at @cammorphoseries.bsky.social and I will present at @brisunipress.bsky.social

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Reposted by Marta Shahbazi

Alberto Elosegui-Artola @aeloseguiartola.bsky.social · May 16

Impressive work by @santoslab.bsky.social creating a 3D model of human amnion from hESCs! www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...

Post-gastrulation amnioids as a stem cell-derived model of human extra-embryonic development

An embryonic stem cell-based 3D model that accurately recapitulates the size, morphology, and functional features of the human amnion at 4 weeks, termed the post-gastrulation amnioid (PGA), is develop...

www.cell.com

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Marta Shahbazi @marta-shahbazi.bsky.social · May 7

A room with a view #GRC

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Marta Shahbazi @marta-shahbazi.bsky.social · Apr 29

Working hard with @mllthingsdna.bsky.social @katemiro.bsky.social @ms01.bsky.social and @vrendo.bsky.social @embo.org #ChromoPloidy25

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Marta Shahbazi @marta-shahbazi.bsky.social · Apr 23

If you are interested in IVF and human reproduction, don't miss this event to celebrate Bob Edwards' centenary: www.tickettailor.com/events/churc...

Register here – Bob Edwards centenary: His life, work and legacy

This conference to celebrate the life, work and legacy of Sir Robert Edwards (IVF pioneer) will take part in two sessions. The ...

www.tickettailor.com

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Marta Shahbazi @marta-shahbazi.bsky.social · Apr 13

This is really cool! Linking transcriptomics and mechanics. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

A computational pipeline for spatial mechano-transcriptomics - Nature Methods

The authors present a computational framework that leverages mechanical force inference and spatial transcriptomics to enable analyses of the interplay between the transcriptomic and mechanical state.

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Marta Shahbazi

MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology @mrclmb.bsky.social · Apr 7

We’re looking for a multi-skilled Fluidic Automation Bioengineer to join John O’Neill’s group in the LMB’s Cell Biology Division, to develop novel platforms for drugging the circadian clock in cultured cells and tissues over many days.
www.nature.com/naturecareer...
Closes 24 APR
#ScienceJobs

John O'Neill's research group stood in the LMB atrium. In the centre, John is stood carrying a baby in a baby holder strapped to his chest.

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Marta Shahbazi @marta-shahbazi.bsky.social · Mar 25

This is fantastic! There is light at the end of the tunnel

James Briscoe @jamesbriscoe.bsky.social · Mar 25

Peer review completed within 7 days!
Paying peer reviewers!
Yes, it's possible.

Fast & Fair peer review by @biologyopen.bsky.social

More innovation from @biologists.bsky.social

Details here: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

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