Authors of this #DevBio study, ranked fundamental, have included an ‘Ideas and Speculation’ section 
They propose possible mechanistic explanations of their research on BMP4 mutations that contribute to vertebrate development.
https://elifesciences.org/reviewed-preprints/105018?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=organic_assessment#s3a
There have been SO MANY preprints about gastruloids in recent months. It is great to see three of them summarised and placed into context here by Maroudas-Sacks et al.
I'm a big fan of InPreprints. If anyone of you want to write about your own favourite recent preprints do get in touch with @Dev_journal
Organoids derived from placental tissue can be used to study processes involving syncytiotrophoblasts – cells that contain billions of nuclei – in the placenta. #DevBio
https://elifesciences.org/reviewed-preprints/101170?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=organic
Cell Signalling: Not all dimers are equal
Disease-causing mutations in the signalling protein BMP4 impair its secretion, but only when it is made as a homodimer. #DevBio
https://elifesciences.org/articles/106980?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=organic_insights
Unravelling a signalling pathway
A new study reveals the network of molecules recruited by the signalling protein FGF during lens development. #DevBio
https://elifesciences.org/digests/103615/unravelling-a-signaling-pathway?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=organic
This study spotlights Meis2 as a key player in whisker follicle formation and shows that nerves aren’t needed to get things started. Some mysteries remain about how Meis2 works, but the imaging is ‘solid’ and the insights are sharp. #DevBio
https://elifesciences.org/articles/100854?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=organic
Reminder: deadline to apply for the Stem Cell Summer School is 30th May. And it's May already! So you have to apply this month!
A limited number of bursaries are available.
p.s. this year, the summer school coincides with the Spetses Armata Festival, so there will be a big party on the island 
https://www.stemcellsummerschool.org/
#StemCells #DevBio #RegenerativeMedicine
Generative Biology: A workshop to explore how synthetic biology can help us understand how embryos build themselves
Organised by Jake Cornwall-Scoones, Dirk Benzinger & me
Oct 20-21, Brighton
Speakers:
Philip Ball
David Brückner
Francesca Ceroni
Jamie Davies
Pulin Li
Mattias Malaguti
Yolanda Schaerli
Ricard Solé
Berna Sozen
Ben Steventon
Jared Toettcher
Vikas Trivedi
Berta Verd
Sara Wickström
Places available for short talks and posters
https://thenode.biologists.com/generative-biology-new-approaches-to-study-developmental-design-principles/uncategorized/
Flatworms, but make it high-res. 
This new protocol combines tissue expansion + light-sheet microscopy to reveal planarian neural and muscle anatomy in 3D, at single-cell resolution. #Planaria #Microscopy #DevBio
https://elifesciences.org/articles/101103?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=organic
As @the_node celebrates their 15 year anniversary this year, we want to collect feedback from you, our community, to ensure the Node is still relevant and useful.
If you’ve ever visited the Node to read, write or interact with the developmental and stem cell biology community, please spare five minutes to take their survey:
Came to pay my respects to Alan Turing. Very moving.
The apple he holds represents Newton, the tree of knowledge, and forbidden love. It is also a reminder of Turing's death.
Hyaluronic acid deposition & a soft ECM promote digit regeneration in mice. 
@JontyTownson covers the first #preprint from the Storer lab.
Jonathan: "I really appreciated the combination of many different techniques to build a compelling narrative about the role of different cell types regulating HA networks in regenerative wounds and the influence stiffness has on this process."
Are you signed up for our 'Developmental biology and evolution' updates? 
Here's our latest newsletter listing upcoming meetings and training opportunities in the field – make sure to mark your calendar and register to join us this year in Heidelberg or virtually 
(Belatedly) An important read if you #PeerReview in #DevBio & related fields. Key points:
1) 'Mechanism' shouldn't have to mean 'molecular mechanism':
"‘... when focusing on a process at the scale of the organism, we are expected to go to molecular detail... However, when people work on a molecule they are not expected to move scales up to the organism level...’
2) Peturbation shouldn't always be required:
"observation-based work can also yield mechanistic insight"
Spending a sunny saturday afternoon moderating undergraduate essays, but I'm not sad because the essay topic is so interesting: why do enormous mammals not need to have proportionally more genes/bigger genomes than teeny tiny mammals?
"I stepped out onto the headway..."
A nice summary of an interesting paper from the Hiiragi group: a self-guided "breadcrumb trail" mechanism helps build the early mammalian embryo.
The authors credit their analogy to The Brothers Grimm, but I credit it to Slint
#PaperThemeTune https://slint.bandcamp.com/track/breadcrumb-trail-remastered
