Nils Dormanns
@nilsdormanns.bsky.social
Cell biology PhD student with Agathe Chaigne at Utrecht University | Microcosmos and protist enthusiast
cytoplasmic bridges | cell-cell communication | choanoflagellates | ESC | evolution
cytoplasmic bridges | cell-cell communication | choanoflagellates | ESC | evolution
Reposted by Nils Dormanns
Our attempt to give multinucleate cells the spotlight they deserve (seriously, they’re everywhere), led by the fearless @mrosjac.bsky.social and with @Markus Ganter
doi.org/10.32942/X2M...
We’d love your feedback while this goes through the peer review process!
#MicroEvoSky
#ProtistsonSky 🧪🌏
doi.org/10.32942/X2M...
We’d love your feedback while this goes through the peer review process!
#MicroEvoSky
#ProtistsonSky 🧪🌏
November 26, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Our attempt to give multinucleate cells the spotlight they deserve (seriously, they’re everywhere), led by the fearless @mrosjac.bsky.social and with @Markus Ganter
doi.org/10.32942/X2M...
We’d love your feedback while this goes through the peer review process!
#MicroEvoSky
#ProtistsonSky 🧪🌏
doi.org/10.32942/X2M...
We’d love your feedback while this goes through the peer review process!
#MicroEvoSky
#ProtistsonSky 🧪🌏
Reposted by Nils Dormanns
“Cellular Olympics” our catalog of freeky ultra fast cellular superhero’s is freely available “Ann Rev of microbiology”
www.annualreviews.org/content/jour...
This is a compilation of world’s fastest single cell organisms - enjoy this buffet of rare delightful protists with mind bending speeds. 🧪
www.annualreviews.org/content/jour...
This is a compilation of world’s fastest single cell organisms - enjoy this buffet of rare delightful protists with mind bending speeds. 🧪
October 24, 2025 at 10:57 AM
“Cellular Olympics” our catalog of freeky ultra fast cellular superhero’s is freely available “Ann Rev of microbiology”
www.annualreviews.org/content/jour...
This is a compilation of world’s fastest single cell organisms - enjoy this buffet of rare delightful protists with mind bending speeds. 🧪
www.annualreviews.org/content/jour...
This is a compilation of world’s fastest single cell organisms - enjoy this buffet of rare delightful protists with mind bending speeds. 🧪
Reposted by Nils Dormanns
Lovely piece on five model organisms for the origin of animal multicellularity and on the community who studies them. It was a pleasure to make a small contribution.
For some three billion years, unicellular organisms ruled Earth. Then, around one billion years ago, a new chapter of life began
go.nature.com/3JyRV4S
go.nature.com/3JyRV4S
How did life get multicellular? Five simple organisms could have the answer
Single-celled species that often stick together in colonies have researchers rethinking the origin of animals.
go.nature.com
August 27, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Lovely piece on five model organisms for the origin of animal multicellularity and on the community who studies them. It was a pleasure to make a small contribution.
Reposted by Nils Dormanns
What could be more exciting than watching Euplotes scurry around under the microscope? How about adding some raptorial predation by supergiant cannibal cells?
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Video by Vittorio Boscaro.
1/n
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Video by Vittorio Boscaro.
1/n
August 26, 2025 at 8:56 PM
What could be more exciting than watching Euplotes scurry around under the microscope? How about adding some raptorial predation by supergiant cannibal cells?
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Video by Vittorio Boscaro.
1/n
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Video by Vittorio Boscaro.
1/n
Reposted by Nils Dormanns
Very happy to share our new paper where we develop CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing in our favorite unicellular relative of animals, Corallochytrium limacisporum! With @sebasn1.bsky.social @multicellgenome.bsky.social Elena and Claudio.
Check it out:
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
Check it out:
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing in Corallochytrium limacisporum,a key species for understanding animal origins | Open Biology
Microbial holozoans are the closest unicellular relatives of animals. They share a
substantial gene repertoire with animals and exhibit complex life cycles. Studying
these organisms is crucial for und...
royalsocietypublishing.org
July 25, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Very happy to share our new paper where we develop CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing in our favorite unicellular relative of animals, Corallochytrium limacisporum! With @sebasn1.bsky.social @multicellgenome.bsky.social Elena and Claudio.
Check it out:
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
Check it out:
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
Reposted by Nils Dormanns
🌎 🐸 Frog dads on taxi duty aren’t just giving their kids a lift, they might be passing on microbes too.
New research suggests parental care could shape the skin microbiome in amphibians.
buff.ly/QtViZmV
#Microbiome
New research suggests parental care could shape the skin microbiome in amphibians.
buff.ly/QtViZmV
#Microbiome
July 20, 2025 at 10:28 PM
🌎 🐸 Frog dads on taxi duty aren’t just giving their kids a lift, they might be passing on microbes too.
New research suggests parental care could shape the skin microbiome in amphibians.
buff.ly/QtViZmV
#Microbiome
New research suggests parental care could shape the skin microbiome in amphibians.
buff.ly/QtViZmV
#Microbiome
Reposted by Nils Dormanns
First post on Bluesky!
Our paper on previously uncultured Group-TE Glissomonad protists has been published. Video teaser below.
#protists #ProtistsOnSky
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
Our paper on previously uncultured Group-TE Glissomonad protists has been published. Video teaser below.
#protists #ProtistsOnSky
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
May 30, 2025 at 6:00 PM
First post on Bluesky!
Our paper on previously uncultured Group-TE Glissomonad protists has been published. Video teaser below.
#protists #ProtistsOnSky
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
Our paper on previously uncultured Group-TE Glissomonad protists has been published. Video teaser below.
#protists #ProtistsOnSky
journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
Reposted by Nils Dormanns
I had an excellent time at Choanocon in Paris meeting old friends (some who I had never met in 3D!) and making new ones.
Congratulations to @thibautbrunet.bsky.social and team for some excellent organising. There was a squeaky pig, there were baguettes, there were weird bugs, the people were happy.
Congratulations to @thibautbrunet.bsky.social and team for some excellent organising. There was a squeaky pig, there were baguettes, there were weird bugs, the people were happy.
May 22, 2025 at 3:20 PM
I had an excellent time at Choanocon in Paris meeting old friends (some who I had never met in 3D!) and making new ones.
Congratulations to @thibautbrunet.bsky.social and team for some excellent organising. There was a squeaky pig, there were baguettes, there were weird bugs, the people were happy.
Congratulations to @thibautbrunet.bsky.social and team for some excellent organising. There was a squeaky pig, there were baguettes, there were weird bugs, the people were happy.
Reposted by Nils Dormanns
The End! Thanks all for joining us🙌🏻🙌🏻 Hope everyone enjoy this amazing week💚💚
#ChoanoCon2025
#ChoanoCon2025
May 22, 2025 at 12:27 PM
The End! Thanks all for joining us🙌🏻🙌🏻 Hope everyone enjoy this amazing week💚💚
#ChoanoCon2025
#ChoanoCon2025
Reposted by Nils Dormanns
Nice to see Margarita presenting our work with
@beaplab.bsky.social and @luisjagago.bsky.social on Maop2, the first #Magnificent8 missing unicellular lineages closely related to animals we got in culture! #animalorigins #diversity #holozoans #protistsOnSky
@beaplab.bsky.social and @luisjagago.bsky.social on Maop2, the first #Magnificent8 missing unicellular lineages closely related to animals we got in culture! #animalorigins #diversity #holozoans #protistsOnSky
Great talk by Margarita from the @beaplab.bsky.social on choanos and friends diversity. With the great @merimonas.bsky.social @multicellgenome.bsky.social #ChoanoCon25
May 22, 2025 at 5:44 AM
Nice to see Margarita presenting our work with
@beaplab.bsky.social and @luisjagago.bsky.social on Maop2, the first #Magnificent8 missing unicellular lineages closely related to animals we got in culture! #animalorigins #diversity #holozoans #protistsOnSky
@beaplab.bsky.social and @luisjagago.bsky.social on Maop2, the first #Magnificent8 missing unicellular lineages closely related to animals we got in culture! #animalorigins #diversity #holozoans #protistsOnSky
Reposted by Nils Dormanns
The day began with lab introductions!!
May 19, 2025 at 9:35 AM
The day began with lab introductions!!
Reposted by Nils Dormanns
Session 1: Cell biology & multicellularity
🔷David Booth (UCSF):Ecological perspectives on choanoflagellate cell differentiation
🔷 @pawelburkhardt.bsky.social t: Choanoflagellates & the origin of neurons Neuronal origins
🔷 @agathechaigne.bsky.social : Cytoplasmic bridges in S. rosetta
#ChoanoCon2025
🔷David Booth (UCSF):Ecological perspectives on choanoflagellate cell differentiation
🔷 @pawelburkhardt.bsky.social t: Choanoflagellates & the origin of neurons Neuronal origins
🔷 @agathechaigne.bsky.social : Cytoplasmic bridges in S. rosetta
#ChoanoCon2025
May 20, 2025 at 10:28 AM
Session 1: Cell biology & multicellularity
🔷David Booth (UCSF):Ecological perspectives on choanoflagellate cell differentiation
🔷 @pawelburkhardt.bsky.social t: Choanoflagellates & the origin of neurons Neuronal origins
🔷 @agathechaigne.bsky.social : Cytoplasmic bridges in S. rosetta
#ChoanoCon2025
🔷David Booth (UCSF):Ecological perspectives on choanoflagellate cell differentiation
🔷 @pawelburkhardt.bsky.social t: Choanoflagellates & the origin of neurons Neuronal origins
🔷 @agathechaigne.bsky.social : Cytoplasmic bridges in S. rosetta
#ChoanoCon2025
Reposted by Nils Dormanns
G protein-coupled receptor diversity and evolution in the closest living relatives of Metazoa www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
May 11, 2025 at 5:03 AM
G protein-coupled receptor diversity and evolution in the closest living relatives of Metazoa www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Nils Dormanns
A dream come true: the first expansion microscopy images of C. flexa 🤩 Generated by Mylan & Uzuki who learned from the best (@hiralshah.bsky.social @gautamdey.bsky.social @dudinlab.bsky.social). We will learn so much from these!
April 22, 2025 at 4:36 PM
A dream come true: the first expansion microscopy images of C. flexa 🤩 Generated by Mylan & Uzuki who learned from the best (@hiralshah.bsky.social @gautamdey.bsky.social @dudinlab.bsky.social). We will learn so much from these!
Reposted by Nils Dormanns
My group is hiring a new Postdoc to work on gene regulation and chromatin in Nematostella. Please RT!
For more information see here:
gahanlab.com
tinyurl.com/34xke35d
For more information see here:
gahanlab.com
tinyurl.com/34xke35d
April 8, 2025 at 12:09 PM
My group is hiring a new Postdoc to work on gene regulation and chromatin in Nematostella. Please RT!
For more information see here:
gahanlab.com
tinyurl.com/34xke35d
For more information see here:
gahanlab.com
tinyurl.com/34xke35d
Reposted by Nils Dormanns
📢Excited to share our new paper in Nature Physics
@naturephysics.bsky.social: Cooperative hydrodynamics accompany multicellular-like colonial organization in the unicellular Stentor!
How do single-celled organisms benefit from teamwork? Let’s dive in! #Multicellularity nature.com/articles/s41...?
@naturephysics.bsky.social: Cooperative hydrodynamics accompany multicellular-like colonial organization in the unicellular Stentor!
How do single-celled organisms benefit from teamwork? Let’s dive in! #Multicellularity nature.com/articles/s41...?
April 2, 2025 at 12:14 PM
📢Excited to share our new paper in Nature Physics
@naturephysics.bsky.social: Cooperative hydrodynamics accompany multicellular-like colonial organization in the unicellular Stentor!
How do single-celled organisms benefit from teamwork? Let’s dive in! #Multicellularity nature.com/articles/s41...?
@naturephysics.bsky.social: Cooperative hydrodynamics accompany multicellular-like colonial organization in the unicellular Stentor!
How do single-celled organisms benefit from teamwork? Let’s dive in! #Multicellularity nature.com/articles/s41...?
Reposted by Nils Dormanns
Asgard archaea have actin - but what about microtubules? Where do they come from? 🧐 Our new paper www.cell.com/cell/fulltex... by @xujwet.bsky.social & @florianwollweber.bsky.social, in collaboration with the Schleper & Wieczorek labs, describes tiny Asgard microtubules! #TeamTomo #ArchaeaSky 1/6
March 21, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Asgard archaea have actin - but what about microtubules? Where do they come from? 🧐 Our new paper www.cell.com/cell/fulltex... by @xujwet.bsky.social & @florianwollweber.bsky.social, in collaboration with the Schleper & Wieczorek labs, describes tiny Asgard microtubules! #TeamTomo #ArchaeaSky 1/6
Reposted by Nils Dormanns
1/46 Hey folks, we have a new paper out on the MuLTEE. Strap in and I’ll tell you the story of how this “little paper on polyploidy” turned into the most data rich paper our lab has produced, largely thanks to the leadership and work ethic of @kaitong25.bsky.social.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Genome duplication in a long-term multicellularity evolution experiment - Nature
In the Multicellularity Long Term Evolution Experiment, diploid yeast evolve to be tetraploid under selection for larger multicellular size, revealing how whole-genome duplication can arise due to its...
www.nature.com
March 5, 2025 at 11:00 PM
1/46 Hey folks, we have a new paper out on the MuLTEE. Strap in and I’ll tell you the story of how this “little paper on polyploidy” turned into the most data rich paper our lab has produced, largely thanks to the leadership and work ethic of @kaitong25.bsky.social.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Nils Dormanns
Excited to announce the 10th "Choanoflagellates & Friends Workshop" over May 20-22 in our own Institut Pasteur in Paris: 2025choanocon.wordpress.com Registrations open til March 15, abstract til March 5. Pre-conference event for students/postdocs on 19/05. Plenty of slots for selected talks/posters!
February 17, 2025 at 11:41 AM
Excited to announce the 10th "Choanoflagellates & Friends Workshop" over May 20-22 in our own Institut Pasteur in Paris: 2025choanocon.wordpress.com Registrations open til March 15, abstract til March 5. Pre-conference event for students/postdocs on 19/05. Plenty of slots for selected talks/posters!
Reposted by Nils Dormanns
Happy to share our paper’s final version on the evolution, structure, and membrane binding / remodeling of Asgard ESCRT-III proteins! And my first 🦋 post! www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Asgard archaea reveal the conserved principles of ESCRT-III membrane remodeling
Asgard archaea have two ESCRT-III subunits with the conserved traits that drive stepwise membrane remodeling in eukaryotes.
www.science.org
February 8, 2025 at 5:27 AM
Happy to share our paper’s final version on the evolution, structure, and membrane binding / remodeling of Asgard ESCRT-III proteins! And my first 🦋 post! www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Nils Dormanns
Hardly new info, but BSky should know:
Warsaw's water quality is monitored by eight clams with magnets attached to their shells. If contamination in the water causes the clams to close, the magnets trigger an alarm and shut off the city's water supply.
Thank you, little guardian molluscs.
🧪🌏🚰
Warsaw's water quality is monitored by eight clams with magnets attached to their shells. If contamination in the water causes the clams to close, the magnets trigger an alarm and shut off the city's water supply.
Thank you, little guardian molluscs.
🧪🌏🚰
February 7, 2025 at 12:39 PM
Hardly new info, but BSky should know:
Warsaw's water quality is monitored by eight clams with magnets attached to their shells. If contamination in the water causes the clams to close, the magnets trigger an alarm and shut off the city's water supply.
Thank you, little guardian molluscs.
🧪🌏🚰
Warsaw's water quality is monitored by eight clams with magnets attached to their shells. If contamination in the water causes the clams to close, the magnets trigger an alarm and shut off the city's water supply.
Thank you, little guardian molluscs.
🧪🌏🚰
Reposted by Nils Dormanns
The world is full of crazy and sad news, but here is a protein that localizes to only one of the two flagella
February 1, 2025 at 9:39 AM
The world is full of crazy and sad news, but here is a protein that localizes to only one of the two flagella
Reposted by Nils Dormanns
Very excited that the lab's first paper is out! We showed that in stem cells, Aurora B controls abscission dynamics by regulating microtubules stability and MCAK recruitment. Very happy with this streamlined version of our 2024 preprint.
www.cell.com/cell-reports...
www.cell.com/cell-reports...
Aurora B controls microtubule stability to regulate abscission dynamics in stem cells
Mouse embryonic stem cells remain connected by bridges for hours after cell division.
In this paper, Kodba et al. show that a high Aurora B activity at the bridge leads
to microtubule stabilization. S...
www.cell.com
January 24, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Very excited that the lab's first paper is out! We showed that in stem cells, Aurora B controls abscission dynamics by regulating microtubules stability and MCAK recruitment. Very happy with this streamlined version of our 2024 preprint.
www.cell.com/cell-reports...
www.cell.com/cell-reports...
Reposted by Nils Dormanns
Fascinating work by Jeffrey Colgren @jeffcolgren.bsky.social & Pawel Burkhardt @pawelburkhardt.bsky.social reveals electrical signaling and coordinated behavior in #choanoflagellate colonies 🤩👏 Out now in Science Advances 🧪 #evobio
Read the paper ➡️ doi.org/g8x466
🔗 tinyurl.com/ymzb9ppv
Read the paper ➡️ doi.org/g8x466
🔗 tinyurl.com/ymzb9ppv
Tiny microbe colonies communicate to coordinate their behavior
A new study published in Science Advances reveals evidence of electrical signaling and coordinated behavior in choanoflagellates, the closest living relatives of animals. This elaborate example of cel...
tinyurl.com
January 9, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Fascinating work by Jeffrey Colgren @jeffcolgren.bsky.social & Pawel Burkhardt @pawelburkhardt.bsky.social reveals electrical signaling and coordinated behavior in #choanoflagellate colonies 🤩👏 Out now in Science Advances 🧪 #evobio
Read the paper ➡️ doi.org/g8x466
🔗 tinyurl.com/ymzb9ppv
Read the paper ➡️ doi.org/g8x466
🔗 tinyurl.com/ymzb9ppv
I am happy to be one of them! Here's to a great 2025.
Rounding up 2024:
This year, we (Amber) published a nice graphical review with FEBS. I got the ERC StG to start to understand why cells delay abscission, with an evolutionary perspective. 2 new people are starting in the lab next week on this project! (1/n)
This year, we (Amber) published a nice graphical review with FEBS. I got the ERC StG to start to understand why cells delay abscission, with an evolutionary perspective. 2 new people are starting in the lab next week on this project! (1/n)
January 7, 2025 at 5:40 PM
I am happy to be one of them! Here's to a great 2025.