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André Dias

@dias-andre

Developmental biologist @AMAlab @upf. Playing with cells & genes to understand the role of signalling during mammalian gastrulation. PhD @IGCiencia

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13.01.2025
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Latest posts by André Dias @dias-andre

Group Leader Call at the @cbitoulouse.bsky.social in
Genome biology, projects at the interface with devbio will be given particular attention. please share :)
cbi-toulouse.fr/wp-content/u...

17.02.2026 16:05 👍 28 🔁 31 💬 1 📌 0
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Modelling co-development between the somites and neural tube in human trunk-like structures - Nature Cell Biology Makwana, Tilley et al. generate human stem cell-based trunk-like structures approximating Carnegie stage 13–14 of development. They use them to model and study the development of the thoracic and lumbar trunk.

Lovely little pre-Christmas present to see this out @natcellbio.nature.com! Some 🔥 new results in here since the biorvix incl (1) a new RARE-GFP reporter ✳️🙌, (2) additional NMP quantification 🔢, (3) no neural tube patterning on RA inhibition 🙅 etc. Enjoy! 😍 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

16.12.2025 10:04 👍 87 🔁 33 💬 5 📌 0
NDiff227 gastruloids display a developmental delay in comparison to HM-N2B27 gastruloids. (A) Quantitative analysis of the roundness (perimeter2/4π×area⁠) of gastruloids cultured in either HM-N2B27 or NDiff227 showed that HM-N2B27 gastruloids are significantly less ‘Round’ than their NDiff227 counterparts at 96 h [unpaired two-tailed t-test; t(4)=−4.9541, P=0.008]. Each datapoint is the average roundness of an independent replicate experiment containing between ∼40 and 90 individual gastruloids (see Fig. S4B). (B) The frequency of morphologies from the data in A, with examples of gastruloids that would fall in each category (bottom; the left 'Protrusions' image is also shown in Fig. S4). (C) Light-sheet representative images (maximum projection images) highlighting the expression patterns of Cdh1 (magenta) and Cdh2 (cyan) between HM-N2B27 gastruloids at 96 h and NDiff227 gastruloids at 90 h and 96 h. Gastruloids developed in HM-N2B27 have upregulated Cdh2 by 90 h, unlike NDiff227 gastruloids, which show enhanced Cdh2 only at 96 h. Scale bars: 100 μm. (Ci) Qualitative analysis of the average expression pattern of Cdh2 (N-cadherin). The expression patterns were grouped into two categories (phenotypes I and II) and represent the average of three independent replicate experiments, each containing at least seven individual gastruloids per condition. Examples of the two categories are shown below. The leftmost example for ‘Phenotype I’ is shown in the middle row of 90 h HM-N2B27 (Cdh2) in C. For the box and whisker plot, the central line in the box is the median, the lower edge of the box is the first quartile, the upper edge of the box is the third quartile, and the box height is the IQR. The lower and upper whiskers indicate the smallest datapoint within 1.5xIQR below Q1 or above Q3, respectively.

NDiff227 gastruloids display a developmental delay in comparison to HM-N2B27 gastruloids. (A) Quantitative analysis of the roundness (perimeter2/4π×area⁠) of gastruloids cultured in either HM-N2B27 or NDiff227 showed that HM-N2B27 gastruloids are significantly less ‘Round’ than their NDiff227 counterparts at 96 h [unpaired two-tailed t-test; t(4)=−4.9541, P=0.008]. Each datapoint is the average roundness of an independent replicate experiment containing between ∼40 and 90 individual gastruloids (see Fig. S4B). (B) The frequency of morphologies from the data in A, with examples of gastruloids that would fall in each category (bottom; the left 'Protrusions' image is also shown in Fig. S4). (C) Light-sheet representative images (maximum projection images) highlighting the expression patterns of Cdh1 (magenta) and Cdh2 (cyan) between HM-N2B27 gastruloids at 96 h and NDiff227 gastruloids at 90 h and 96 h. Gastruloids developed in HM-N2B27 have upregulated Cdh2 by 90 h, unlike NDiff227 gastruloids, which show enhanced Cdh2 only at 96 h. Scale bars: 100 μm. (Ci) Qualitative analysis of the average expression pattern of Cdh2 (N-cadherin). The expression patterns were grouped into two categories (phenotypes I and II) and represent the average of three independent replicate experiments, each containing at least seven individual gastruloids per condition. Examples of the two categories are shown below. The leftmost example for ‘Phenotype I’ is shown in the middle row of 90 h HM-N2B27 (Cdh2) in C. For the box and whisker plot, the central line in the box is the median, the lower edge of the box is the first quartile, the upper edge of the box is the third quartile, and the box height is the IQR. The lower and upper whiskers indicate the smallest datapoint within 1.5xIQR below Q1 or above Q3, respectively.

The power of the media: core culture conditions direct gastruloid development

This Research Highlight showcases the work from Tina Balayo, André Dias @dias-andre.bsky.social, David Turner @gastruloids.bsky.social and colleagues:
journals.biologists.com/dev/article/...

26.11.2025 16:13 👍 6 🔁 3 💬 1 📌 0
First author Tina Balayo (left) and corresponding authors André Dias (middle) and David Turner (right)

First author Tina Balayo (left) and corresponding authors André Dias (middle) and David Turner (right)

To find out more about this work and the people behind it, we spoke to first author Tina Balayo, and to co-corresponding authors André Dias @dias-andre.bsky.social and David Turner @gastruloids.bsky.social:

journals.biologists.com/dev/article/...

26.11.2025 16:13 👍 2 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0

We would like to thank the reviewers for their inputs, the editor, and @dev-journal.bsky.social for the interview journals.biologists.com/dev/article/... and the highlight journals.biologists.com/dev/article/...

26.11.2025 09:01 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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N2B27 media formulations influence gastruloid development Highlighted Article: This work explores the cellular and molecular sensitivity of the mouse gastruloid model system to variations in N2B27 media formulations, highlighting the need for careful media s...

I do like the @dev-journal.bsky.social "Research Report" format for shortish papers

This one is valuable. "Is it the N2B27?" is the stem cell biologist version of "Is it the magnesium?"

Congrats Tina Balayo @dias-andre.bsky.social David Turner & all authors
journals.biologists.com/dev/article/...

25.11.2025 11:21 👍 20 🔁 6 💬 0 📌 0

Now out in @dev-journal.bsky.social
Lots of new results! Check it out!!
journals.biologists.com/dev/article/...

25.11.2025 10:37 👍 4 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 1
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N2B27 media formulations influence gastruloid development Highlighted Article: This work explores the cellular and molecular sensitivity of the mouse gastruloid model system to variations in N2B27 media formulations, highlighting the need for careful media s...

Now out in @dev-journal.bsky.social
journals.biologists.com/dev/article/...

25.11.2025 10:35 👍 9 🔁 3 💬 0 📌 0
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N2B27 media formulations influence gastruloid development Highlighted Article: This work explores the cellular and molecular sensitivity of the mouse gastruloid model system to variations in N2B27 media formulations, highlighting the need for careful media s...

Now out in @dev-journal.bsky.social
journals.biologists.com/dev/article/...

25.11.2025 10:34 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Cadherins modulate the self-organizing potential of pseudo-embryos Gastruloids derived from ES cells mimic embryonic patterning through robust self-organization. Mayran et al. uncover that this competence depends on a cadherin switch regulated by Snai1-driven E-cadhe...

Happy to present the final version of our Cadherin and gastruloid manuscript, online at @cp-cellreports.bsky.social.
www.cell.com/cell-reports...
Initially in BiorXiv (www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...) 1/12

17.11.2025 10:36 👍 44 🔁 16 💬 4 📌 1
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Muere Antonio García-Bellido, descubridor de las fronteras invisibles dentro de los seres vivos El biólogo, fallecido a los 89 años, deja un legado científico que roza las alturas de los nobeles Santiago Ramón y Cajal y Severo Ochoa

#modularity
elpais.com/ciencia/2025...

11.11.2025 15:29 👍 0 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
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🚨JOB ALERT🚨

FRIENDS PLEASE SPREAD and RT

We are building a small expert team within the @bokelab.bsky.social at @crg.eu @prbb.org to investigate fundamental questions in oocyte cell biology, focusing on how proteostasis regulation influences dormancy and fertility.

See below 2 calls👇

02.10.2025 11:00 👍 28 🔁 38 💬 1 📌 2
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THANK YOU for many years of friendship, support and for sharing your great Science
La Pedrera #Barcelona
#NotInTheGenes #CellsRUs #Cambridge

22.09.2025 21:01 👍 32 🔁 3 💬 0 📌 1
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Program Head – Developmental, Stem Cell, and Cancer Biology - Toronto (Region), Ontario (CA) job with The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) Research Institute | 673968 Provide leadership and mentorship to members of the Developmental, Stem Cell & Cancer and influence the scientific direction of the Research Institute

Great opportunity to join the vibrant developmental biology in Toronto (and boss around me and @wbderry.bsky.social).

jobs.sciencecareers.org/job/673968/p...

27.07.2025 23:35 👍 10 🔁 8 💬 0 📌 2
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Catch up on Development presents… July webinar on early embryogenesis - the Node Catch up on the Development presents... May webinar, featuring talks from the first authors of Development's 2024 outstanding paper prize finalists.

Catch up on Development presents… July webinar on early embryogenesis

Featuring talks from @lakshmib02.bsky.social, @dias-andre.bsky.social ‬and @nikhil-mishra.bsky.social

🎥 thenode.biologists.com/catch-up-on-...

@dev-journal.bsky.social #DevBio

14.07.2025 08:56 👍 9 🔁 5 💬 0 📌 0

Tune in tomorrow if you are interested in understanding how stem cells can be used to make different parts of our body

08.07.2025 09:07 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Development presents... Wednesday 9 July 15:00 BST, chaired by Alex Eve.

Talk 1: Lakshmi Balasubramaniam (Gurdon Institute)
‘Tissue spreading couples matrix remodelling during avian gastrulation’

Talk 2: André Dias (Universitat Pompeu Fabra)
‘Opposing Nodal and Wnt signalling activities govern the emergence of the mammalian body plan’

Talk 3: Nikhil Mishra (Institute of Science and Technology Austria)
‘Geometry-driven asymmetric cell divisions pattern cell cycles and zygotic genome activation in the zebrafish embryo’

Development presents... Wednesday 9 July 15:00 BST, chaired by Alex Eve. Talk 1: Lakshmi Balasubramaniam (Gurdon Institute) ‘Tissue spreading couples matrix remodelling during avian gastrulation’ Talk 2: André Dias (Universitat Pompeu Fabra) ‘Opposing Nodal and Wnt signalling activities govern the emergence of the mammalian body plan’ Talk 3: Nikhil Mishra (Institute of Science and Technology Austria) ‘Geometry-driven asymmetric cell divisions pattern cell cycles and zygotic genome activation in the zebrafish embryo’

Sign up to attend our next Development presents... webinar on early #embryogenesis, featuring talks from @lakshmib02.bsky.social‬, @dias-andre.bsky.social ‬and @nikhil-mishra.bsky.social.

📅Wed 9 July 15:00BST (UTC+1)

Register here: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

#DevBio @dev-journal.bsky.social

23.06.2025 08:26 👍 14 🔁 7 💬 0 📌 2
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In which we discuss the homologies between amphibian and mammalian organizers from the perspective of #gastruloids with special relevance to recently described A and C gastruloids as containing Spemann/Mangold and Trunk/Tail organizers www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

23.05.2025 10:35 👍 15 🔁 4 💬 0 📌 0
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Experimental embryology postdoc available in my lab at the @biology.ox.ac.uk @ox.ac.uk working on the evolution of vertebral counts. Reach out if you’re passionate about EvoDevo, enjoy lab work and microscopy and are into or could get into cichlid fishes. Deadline on the 16th June. Please share!

19.05.2025 16:10 👍 64 🔁 66 💬 4 📌 5

We've just updated our manuscript to a more 'publishable' version!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
New details about the role of Wnt in suppressing neural differentiation and fostering a posterior epiblast state, and the temporal effect of Nodal signalling in driving mesendodermal fates

16.05.2025 07:05 👍 5 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 1

Great work from Alexandra and Sebastian et al showing how gastrulation is governed downstream of Wnt and Nodal. Two competing transcriptional modules - two opposing signalling activities - orchestrate the emergence of the mammalian body plan.
moving forward, together

16.05.2025 06:34 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Difficult to believe that such a community has emerged @ #gastruloids as a model system to explore many aspects of #DevBio. Great to see a room so full of people, curiosity and good Science @prbb.org @upf.edu Thank you to all that have made this possible & of course to the participants

21.03.2025 06:19 👍 23 🔁 6 💬 0 📌 0
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There's increasing evidence that in organoid/embryoids conditions of cells at start of experiments is crucial/ determines outcome. Much to be learnt still. Taking advantage of mouse #gastruloids, two groups explore this here. Important work to calibrate the field www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

19.03.2025 12:01 👍 16 🔁 6 💬 1 📌 0

N2B27 media formulations influence gastruloid development https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.15.643474v1

17.03.2025 04:30 👍 8 🔁 4 💬 1 📌 1

Fun collaboration! All the nitty-gritty about N2B27 and gastruloids. Kudos to all the authors, particularly Tina Balayo (¡que va de primero!)

17.03.2025 12:09 👍 2 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 1
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🧫Looking for a PhD to start Autumn 2025? We're recruiting! 🧪

The project will focus on using #embryomodels to explore #development & could cover a range of specific questions. Please RT! 🙏

Apply via the portal, and get more details here: www.crick.ac.uk/careers-stud...

20.02.2025 13:21 👍 29 🔁 16 💬 0 📌 2
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Postdoktor för framställning av fotoreceptorer från pluripotenta stamceller Vill du bidra till medicinsk forskning av toppkvalitet? Lanner labbet som tillhör institutionen för klinisk vetenskap, intervention och teknik har utvecklat en metod att producera retinala pigment e

The Lanner lab is recruiting a postdoctoral fellow to continue developing our strategy to generate pluripotent stem cell derived photoreceptors for treatment of blindness. Looking for talented colleague to join our team.
@ki.se
ki.varbi.com/what:job/job...

20.02.2025 19:27 👍 6 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0

We are looking for a new Executive Editor on the journal, with @katherine-brown.bsky.social taking on a new role at @biologists.bsky.social. If you're an experienced editor with a love of developmental biology and its community, this could be the job for you. Full details in the link below.

13.02.2025 13:56 👍 30 🔁 45 💬 0 📌 4

I am recruiting an #ERC funded PostDoc to work on the evolution of vertebral counts in cichlids. This is an experimental project & will be looking for candidates with experience generating reporter lines, live-imaging and experimental embryology.
Application deadline: 25th Feb.
tinyurl.com/33jbu8fa

05.02.2025 16:50 👍 41 🔁 52 💬 0 📌 7
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Seeking a Research Scientist or Postdoctoral Researcher at Human Biomimetic System RIKEN Hakubi Research Team (K24101)

Job Alert!
We are recruiting a postdoc for organoid technology at RIKEN BDR, Japan.

This is a valuable opportunity to work in collaboration with multiple labs, aiming for an advanced integration of developmental biology and engineering.
Please contact!

www.riken.jp/en/careers/r...

04.02.2025 23:42 👍 2 🔁 7 💬 0 📌 0