Tapahtumakalenteri
Dissertation: Anna Suikkila
Opponent: Docent Elina Penttilä, University of Eastern Finland
HiLIFE webinar / Viikki Monday Seminar by Grigory Genikhovich
Grigory Genikhovich is a developmental biologist interested in the evolution of axial patterning mechanisms and germ layer formation. He studied biology at the St. Petersburg State University (Russia) and then moved for a PhD on Hydra embryonic development in the Thomas Bosch lab at the University of Kiel in Germany. He changed to using the sea anemone Nematostella, which is a slower evolving species than Hydra and a much better embryological model, during a postdoc in the Technau lab at the Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology in Bergen, Norway. In 2008, the Technau lab moved to the University of Vienna, and so did Grigory, eventually establishing his own research group in 2016. His main research focus has always been the role of Wnt and BMP signaling in regulating cnidarian development and the evolution of bilaterally symmetric body plans in animals.
Welcome to this exciting seminar!
Arina Maltseva
Selected publications:
Mörsdorf, D., Prünster, M.M., Genikhovich, G.* (2024) Chordin-mediated BMP shuttling patterns the secondary body axis in a cnidarian. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.05.27.596067
Lebedeva,
T., Boström, J., Mörsdorf, D., Niedermoser, I., Genikhovich, E., Adameyko, I.
and Genikhovich, G.* (2022). β-catenin-dependent endomesoderm specification
appears to be a Bilateria-specific co-option. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.10.15.512282v1
Knabl
P., Schauer A., Pomreinke A.P., Zimmermann B., Rogers K., Čapek D., Müller P.,
Genikhovich G.* (2024) Analysis of SMAD1/5 target genes in a sea anemone
reveals ZSWIM4-6 as a novel BMP signaling modulator. eLife 13, e80803. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.80803
Lebedeva
T., Aman A.J., Graf T., Niedermoser I., Zimmermann B., Kraus Y., Schatka M.,
Demilly A., Technau U., Genikhovich, G.* (2021) Cnidarian-bilaterian comparison
reveals the ancestral regulatory logic of the β-catenin dependent axial
patterning. Nature Communications 12, 4032. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-24346-8
Kraus,
Y.1, Aman, A., Technau, U.*, Genikhovich, G. 1,* (2016) Pre-bilaterian origin
of the blastoporal axial organizer. Nature Communications 7, 11694. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms11694
Genikhovich,
G., Fried, P., Prünster, M.M., Schinko, J.B., Gilles, A.F., Fredman D., Meier,
K., Iber, D., Technau, U. (2015) Axis patterning by BMPs: cnidarian network
reveals evolutionary constraints. Cell Reports 10, 1646–1654. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2015.02.035
Saina,
M.1, Genikhovich, G.1, Renfer, E. and Technau, U. (2009) BMPs and Chordin
regulate patterning of the directive axis in a sea anemone. PNAS 106,
18592-18597. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0900151106
Full publication list: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4864-7770
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University of Helsinki students please note: If you wish to obtain credits (DPBM, ILS) from this seminar series, please sign the participant list in the lecture hall or use your first name + last name in Zoom.
Upcoming seminars
31.3.2025 Claire Spottiswoode: The natural history of a human-animal mutualism
7.4.2025 Christos Pliotas: Accessing uncharted membrane protein conformational ensembles by structural EPR spectroscopy
14.4.2025 Pete Cullen: Molecular mechanisms of endosomal cargo recycling in human health and disease
Metabolism Seminar
Kirsi Pietiläinen, Adipose tissue and muscle mitochondria in acquired
obesity and after weight loss interventions
Elena Herbers, Glucose-dependent metabolic alterations in human adipocytes
Birgitta van der Kolk, Human skeletal muscle mitochondria respond differently to weight loss induced by bariatric surgery or diet
Robin Cristofari, Understanding how metabolism modulates aging, from penguins to humans
Minerva Seminar by Professor Matthew Grubb
Strikingly different neurotransmitter release strategies in dopaminergic subclasses
Professor Matthew
Grubb
Centre for Developmental Neurobiology
Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN)
King's College London
London SE1 1UL, UK
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Dr Matthew Grubb is a professor at Kings College London where he leads his
research team. The lab is interested in activity-dependent neuronal maturation,
with special emphasis on glomerular circuits in the olfactory bulb and the axon
initial segment. Due to his seminal work in axon initial plasticity in past, he
will serve as an opponent for David Micinski´s defense after his seminar at 12.
Matt has been an inaugural Scholar of the FENS-Kavli Network of Excellence for
years 2014-2018, now being an active member of the alumni network.
Neuronal function is intimately tied to axodendritic polarity. Neurotransmitter
release, for example, is usually the role of the axon. There are widespread
exceptions to this rule, however, including many mammalian neuronal types that
can release neurotransmitter from their dendrites. In the mouse olfactory bulb,
closely related subclasses of dopaminergic interneuron differ markedly in their
polarity, with one subtype lacking an axon entirely. These axon-bearing and
anaxonic dopaminergic subclasses have distinct developmental profiles and
sensory responses, but how their fundamental polarity differences translate to
functional outputs remains entirely unknown. Here, we provide anatomical
evidence for distinct neurotransmitter release strategies among these closely
related dopaminergic subtypes: anaxonic cells release from their dendrites,
while axon-bearing neurons release exclusively from their intermittently
myelinated axon. These structural differences are linked to a clear functional
distinction: anaxonic, but not axon-bearing dopaminergic neurons are capable of
self-inhibition. Our findings suggest that variations in polarity can produce
striking distinctions in neuronal outputs, and that even closely related
neuronal subclasses may play entirely separate roles in sensory information
processing.
Prof. Grubb will be the opponent of MSc David Micinski’s PhD thesis “The Actin Cytoskeleton and Axon Initial Segment Function” in the Faculty Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki. The public examination will take place in Biomedicum Helsinki 1, lecture hall 3, Haartmaninkatu 8, Friday, March 21st, at 13:00.
Spinning narratives in scientific storytelling - join discussion at ReproducibiliTe
We are excited to invite you to our upcoming journal club session! This time, we will explore the fine line between storytelling and spinning narratives in science with our special guest Trevor Corson.
Storytelling or Spinning Narratives – What Is the Difference?
Storytelling is a powerful and increasingly popular mode for both scientific writing and science communication. However, bias and spin in scientific reporting are being called out as part of the credibility crisis in science. At the same time, public trust in science has been declining. Is it possible to craft compelling narratives without compromising scientific integrity? Where does bias come from, and could there be ways to tell stories while remaining objective? Join us as we open this Pandora’s box and dive into the role of narrative thinking and the philosophy of science!
Speaker: Trevor Corson – acclaimed narrative journalist, science writer, and health researcher at Helsinki University Hospital. He teaches "Storytelling for Scientists" in the Doctoral School and leads NeuWrite Nordic, a creative science-writing workshop.
Reading Material:
Main paper:
“Storytelling” (2013) by Krzywinski & Cairo and its commentary “Against Storytelling of Scientific Results” (2013) by Katz. [PDF link]
Encouraged extra reading:
“Hide Results to Seek the Truth” (2015) by MacCoun & Perlmutter. [PDF link]
Register here