Shifaan Thowfeequ
@shifaant.bsky.social
84 followers 180 following 7 posts
Research Scientist @UniofOxford, formerly @Columbia. Developmental biologist w/ interests in morphogenesis, evodevo, history/philosophy of science & education
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shifaant.bsky.social
The 'sparks' of life! Our latest work on the role of #calcium dynamics in the early #embryo. 🎇🔬🐁

@idrm.ox.ac.uk @oxforddpag.bsky.social @srinivas-lab.bsky.social #lightsheetmicroscopy #GCAMP
plosbiology.org
During #development, distal visceral #endoderm (DVE) cells migrate to shape A-P axis specification. @m-stower.bsky.social @srinivas-lab.bsky.social &co reveal the role of Ca2+ dynamics in this, showing that inhibition of #calcium transients causes DVE arrest @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4nHWxF4
Epiblast Ca2+ waves propagate from the apical to basal domain. The images show selected time points from movies of E5.5 GCaMP6f embryos imaged using a ZEISS lattice light-sheet 7 microscope. Top row: An example of an epiblast wave involving a large proportion of the tissue captured by imaging a volume of the embryo at 20-s intervals. A total of 9/16 embryos showed at least one epiblast Ca2+ wave. Bottom row: Faster imaging at 5-s interval revealed that the Ca2+ wave in the epiblast can be preceded by a transient in a neighboring VE cell—this was observed in 5/19 events from 9 embryos (white arrowheads).
Reposted by Shifaan Thowfeequ
plosbiology.org
During #development, distal visceral #endoderm (DVE) cells migrate to shape A-P axis specification. @m-stower.bsky.social @srinivas-lab.bsky.social &co reveal the role of Ca2+ dynamics in this, showing that inhibition of #calcium transients causes DVE arrest @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4nHWxF4
Epiblast Ca2+ waves propagate from the apical to basal domain. The images show selected time points from movies of E5.5 GCaMP6f embryos imaged using a ZEISS lattice light-sheet 7 microscope. Top row: An example of an epiblast wave involving a large proportion of the tissue captured by imaging a volume of the embryo at 20-s intervals. A total of 9/16 embryos showed at least one epiblast Ca2+ wave. Bottom row: Faster imaging at 5-s interval revealed that the Ca2+ wave in the epiblast can be preceded by a transient in a neighboring VE cell—this was observed in 5/19 events from 9 embryos (white arrowheads).
Reposted by Shifaan Thowfeequ
royalsociety.org
#OnThisDay in 1858, a seminal journal article comprised of papers by Alfred Russel Wallace FRS and Charles Darwin FRS on the theory of evolution by natural selection was published by the Linnean Society, the first public announcement of the theory of evolution. bit.ly/3k8fq4u
Reposted by Shifaan Thowfeequ
the-node.bsky.social
*TODAY Wed 4 June 15:00 BST (UTC+1)*

Development presents... webinar, celebrating the winners of the @bsdb.bsky.social postdoc poster prize from the Biologists @ 100 conference. We'll hear from @giuliapaci.bsky.social and @shifaant.bsky.social

Register here: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
Development presents... Wednesday 4 June 15:00 BST. BSDB poster prize winners. Chair: Abigail Tucker.
Talk 1: Giulia Paci (University College London)
‘3D cell topology regulates signalling range to promote precise patterning of wing sensory organs’

Talk 2: Shifaan Thowfeequ (University of Oxford)
‘Visualising calcium dynamics in the developing embryo : from fertilisation to the first heartbeat’
Reposted by Shifaan Thowfeequ
dev-journal.bsky.social
*This Wed 4 June 15:00 BST* Register to attend our next Development presents... webinar, celebrating the winners of the @bsdb.bsky.social‬ postdoc poster prize from the Biologists @ 100 conference. We'll hear from @giuliapaci.bsky.social‬ and @shifaant.bsky.social
us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
Development presents... Wednesday 4 June 15:00 BST. BSDB poster prize winners. Chair: Abigail Tucker.
Talk 1: Giulia Paci (University College London)
‘3D cell topology regulates signalling range to promote precise patterning of wing sensory organs’

Talk 2: Shifaan Thowfeequ (University of Oxford)
‘Visualising calcium dynamics in the developing embryo : from fertilisation to the first heartbeat’
Reposted by Shifaan Thowfeequ
dev-journal.bsky.social
Register now to attend our #DevPres webinar next week, featuring the winners of the @bsdb.bsky.social poster prize, @shifaant.bsky.social and @giuliapaci.bsky.social, and chaired by Abigail Tucker.

4 June at 15:00 BST

us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
Development presents...
Wednesday 4 June 15:00 BST
BSDB poster prize winners. CHair: Abigail Tucker
Giulia Paci University College London - ‘3D cell topology regulates signalling range to promote precise patterning of wing sensory organs’
Shifaan Thowfeequ University of Oxford - ‘Visualising calcium dynamics in the developing embryo: from fertilisation to the first heartbeat’
Reposted by Shifaan Thowfeequ
royalsociety.org
Visa costs will limit Britain's ability to court those who may seek to leave the U.S. after Trump's administration cut funding for universities and research bodies, says Professor Alison Noble FRS, Foreign Secretary of the Royal Society: www.reuters.com/world/uk/hig...
High UK visa costs deter international scientists and engineers
It took Ed Roberts over a year to find a senior scientist to work at his cancer research laboratory in Scotland, a delay he blames on high UK visa costs that made it harder to attract international workers.
www.reuters.com
Reposted by Shifaan Thowfeequ
rorylcooper.bsky.social
This is the head of a chicken embryo after 16 days of development, imaged with light sheet microscopy 🐣🔬🧪
shifaant.bsky.social
The sun is shining over the beautiful city of Liverpool for @biologists.bsky.social ‘s Centenary Meeting ( #biologists100)
Reposted by Shifaan Thowfeequ
oliverastone.bsky.social
Very happy to share our work on lymphatic endothelial cell specification, which was published in Nature Cardiovascular Research this week.
Reposted by Shifaan Thowfeequ
degrainger.bsky.social
✨Excited to share our work revisiting the developmental origins of mammalian lymphatic endothelial cells.✨

A summary of our key findings using scRNA-seq, snMultiome-seq and imaging to show the direct specification of mesenchymal progenitors to LECs🧵 #blutorial #blabstract

tinyurl.com/LECspec
Direct specification of lymphatic endothelium from mesenchymal progenitors - Nature Cardiovascular Research
Lupu, Grainger, Kirschnick et al. show that, contrary to prevailing belief, the initial specification of mammalian lymphatic endothelial cells primarily occurs from previously unidentified mesenchymal...
tinyurl.com
shifaant.bsky.social
Excited to have provided the cover images for the new Kaufman's Atlas of Mouse Development Supplement (edited by Gillian Morriss-Kay & Shankar Srinivas) – the go-to reference resource for all mammalian developmental biologists.
shifaant.bsky.social
Have always been fascinated about these elusive giants–the beaked whales. Until now nothing was known about this extant species; known from only seven records and have never been seen alive at sea. Turns out it has a nine-chambered stomach and vestigial teeth! www.doc.govt.nz/news/media-r...
Spade-toothed whale reveals new discoveries
Vestigial teeth were just one of many new discoveries made by scientists during the dissection of the rarest whale in the world, Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou says.
www.doc.govt.nz
shifaant.bsky.social
A scenic walk to work this morning. Oxford, Oxfordshire.
Reposted by Shifaan Thowfeequ
srinivas-lab.bsky.social
Happy to have the Srinivas lab on Bluesky!

Even our embryos are starting to feel a little festive in the Srinivas lab! We are excited to share our new bioRχiv pre-print – investigating the role of calcium in the early embryo
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Shifaan Thowfeequ
m-stower.bsky.social
Feeling Festive! Very happy to share our new bioRχiv pre-print – investigating the role of calcium signalling in the early mouse embryo:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...