Ronja Houtekamer
@ronjahoutekamer.bsky.social
Postdoc @sarawickstrom.bsky.social MPI Münster | PhD @gloerichlab.bsky.social UMC Utrecht | Fascinated by the interplay between mechanics, stem cells and signaling in epithelia! 🔬
Pinned
On February 25, I successfully defended my PhD thesis (cum laude), titled "More than a gut feeling: mechanical control of epithelial homeostasis"!
I'm truly grateful for so many amazing experiences and great collaborations during my time @gloerichlab.bsky.social!
Let the postdoc adventure begin!
I'm truly grateful for so many amazing experiences and great collaborations during my time @gloerichlab.bsky.social!
Let the postdoc adventure begin!
Reposted by Ronja Houtekamer
How do tissues safely remove cells?
Join me, @marija-matejcic.bsky.social in this perspective on the past, present and future of epithelial cell extrusion 🧵 0/16
Join me, @marija-matejcic.bsky.social in this perspective on the past, present and future of epithelial cell extrusion 🧵 0/16
July 26, 2026 at 7:23 AM
How do tissues safely remove cells?
Join me, @marija-matejcic.bsky.social in this perspective on the past, present and future of epithelial cell extrusion 🧵 0/16
Join me, @marija-matejcic.bsky.social in this perspective on the past, present and future of epithelial cell extrusion 🧵 0/16
Reposted by Ronja Houtekamer
Excited to share that our work on ‘How the gut gets patterned during regeneration’ is out now cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(26)00696-3
Thanks a lot to @priscaliberali.bsky.social @silviabarbiero.bsky.social @davidbrueckner.bsky.social @ehannezo.bsky.social
and all co-authors! 🧵
Thanks a lot to @priscaliberali.bsky.social @silviabarbiero.bsky.social @davidbrueckner.bsky.social @ehannezo.bsky.social
and all co-authors! 🧵
Multiscale integration of tissue and chromatin context converts cell heterogeneity into stable intestinal patterning
During regeneration, tissues must translate transient cellular variability into stable
spatial organization. Tissue architecture generates a density-dependent window of
heterogeneity in the mechanosen...
cell.com
July 1, 2026 at 5:59 AM
Excited to share that our work on ‘How the gut gets patterned during regeneration’ is out now cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(26)00696-3
Thanks a lot to @priscaliberali.bsky.social @silviabarbiero.bsky.social @davidbrueckner.bsky.social @ehannezo.bsky.social
and all co-authors! 🧵
Thanks a lot to @priscaliberali.bsky.social @silviabarbiero.bsky.social @davidbrueckner.bsky.social @ehannezo.bsky.social
and all co-authors! 🧵
Reposted by Ronja Houtekamer
@isabella-gaeta.bsky.social, @shuangshuangdu.bsky.social, @valentatormenta.bsky.social et al. show that the epidermal stem cell layer retains its capacity for proliferation despite significant fibroblast depletion during both adult and neonatal stages in vivo. rupress.org/jcb/article/...
#StemCells
#StemCells
June 12, 2026 at 5:15 PM
@isabella-gaeta.bsky.social, @shuangshuangdu.bsky.social, @valentatormenta.bsky.social et al. show that the epidermal stem cell layer retains its capacity for proliferation despite significant fibroblast depletion during both adult and neonatal stages in vivo. rupress.org/jcb/article/...
#StemCells
#StemCells
Reposted by Ronja Houtekamer
Glad to see this out in its final form!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
What changed since the preprint? Wonderful experiments disentangling the effect of receptor binding vs tissue porosity on Nodal diffusion, plus one of the smoothest review experiences! Thanks @natcellbio.nature.com & reviewers 🙏
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
What changed since the preprint? Wonderful experiments disentangling the effect of receptor binding vs tissue porosity on Nodal diffusion, plus one of the smoothest review experiences! Thanks @natcellbio.nature.com & reviewers 🙏
May 15, 2026 at 9:09 AM
Glad to see this out in its final form!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
What changed since the preprint? Wonderful experiments disentangling the effect of receptor binding vs tissue porosity on Nodal diffusion, plus one of the smoothest review experiences! Thanks @natcellbio.nature.com & reviewers 🙏
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
What changed since the preprint? Wonderful experiments disentangling the effect of receptor binding vs tissue porosity on Nodal diffusion, plus one of the smoothest review experiences! Thanks @natcellbio.nature.com & reviewers 🙏
On February 25, I successfully defended my PhD thesis (cum laude), titled "More than a gut feeling: mechanical control of epithelial homeostasis"!
I'm truly grateful for so many amazing experiences and great collaborations during my time @gloerichlab.bsky.social!
Let the postdoc adventure begin!
I'm truly grateful for so many amazing experiences and great collaborations during my time @gloerichlab.bsky.social!
Let the postdoc adventure begin!
May 3, 2026 at 12:15 PM
On February 25, I successfully defended my PhD thesis (cum laude), titled "More than a gut feeling: mechanical control of epithelial homeostasis"!
I'm truly grateful for so many amazing experiences and great collaborations during my time @gloerichlab.bsky.social!
Let the postdoc adventure begin!
I'm truly grateful for so many amazing experiences and great collaborations during my time @gloerichlab.bsky.social!
Let the postdoc adventure begin!
I had the honor to contribute to the wonderful threads by @epimechfc.bsky.social, where I write about a major topic in my PhD research! ✨️
Please follow this account for exciting daily updates in the epithelial mechanics field!
Please follow this account for exciting daily updates in the epithelial mechanics field!
How do epithelial cells integrate mechanical and biochemical signals to control their behavior?
I am @ronjahoutekamer.bsky.social, and in this thread, I’ll show you how force transduction connects to biochemical signaling, and how it activates ERK by inducing biochemical ligand shedding.
I am @ronjahoutekamer.bsky.social, and in this thread, I’ll show you how force transduction connects to biochemical signaling, and how it activates ERK by inducing biochemical ligand shedding.
May 3, 2026 at 9:56 AM
I had the honor to contribute to the wonderful threads by @epimechfc.bsky.social, where I write about a major topic in my PhD research! ✨️
Please follow this account for exciting daily updates in the epithelial mechanics field!
Please follow this account for exciting daily updates in the epithelial mechanics field!
Reposted by Ronja Houtekamer
I’m happy to share our new preprint on stem cell regeneration in the human colon! Using new CRISPR knockins in organoids, we show that after stem cell loss, non-stem cells rapidly regenerate them. This process is normally inhibited by the stem cells themselves. Manuscript link: tinyurl.com/3ky4ccxf
July 29, 2025 at 10:30 AM
I’m happy to share our new preprint on stem cell regeneration in the human colon! Using new CRISPR knockins in organoids, we show that after stem cell loss, non-stem cells rapidly regenerate them. This process is normally inhibited by the stem cells themselves. Manuscript link: tinyurl.com/3ky4ccxf
Reposted by Ronja Houtekamer
Huge news! Our research is out in Nature✨
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
We’ve uncovered that oncofetal plasticity in colorectal cancer arises far earlier than anyone expected. Providing a new lens on how cancers transition to metastatic disease.
Big thanks to my team and collaborators!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
We’ve uncovered that oncofetal plasticity in colorectal cancer arises far earlier than anyone expected. Providing a new lens on how cancers transition to metastatic disease.
Big thanks to my team and collaborators!
April 15, 2026 at 6:20 PM
Huge news! Our research is out in Nature✨
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
We’ve uncovered that oncofetal plasticity in colorectal cancer arises far earlier than anyone expected. Providing a new lens on how cancers transition to metastatic disease.
Big thanks to my team and collaborators!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
We’ve uncovered that oncofetal plasticity in colorectal cancer arises far earlier than anyone expected. Providing a new lens on how cancers transition to metastatic disease.
Big thanks to my team and collaborators!
Reposted by Ronja Houtekamer
Paper alert! β-catenin forms condensates that help build cell–cell adhesions - showing its role goes beyond simply linking E-cadherin to α-cat/actin. Great collaboration with the Schuijers lab!
👉 nature.com/articles/s41...
👉 nature.com/articles/s41...
December 16, 2025 at 9:25 AM
Paper alert! β-catenin forms condensates that help build cell–cell adhesions - showing its role goes beyond simply linking E-cadherin to α-cat/actin. Great collaboration with the Schuijers lab!
👉 nature.com/articles/s41...
👉 nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Ronja Houtekamer
Intestinal villus cells extrude living, following a calcium pulse. Unlike from extruding apoptotic cells, Ca2+ messaging stops at the first neighbors! #FluorescenceFriday
Part of our TrepatLab preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Video by @ronjahoutekamer.bsky.social @gloerichlab.bsky.social
Part of our TrepatLab preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Video by @ronjahoutekamer.bsky.social @gloerichlab.bsky.social
November 7, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Intestinal villus cells extrude living, following a calcium pulse. Unlike from extruding apoptotic cells, Ca2+ messaging stops at the first neighbors! #FluorescenceFriday
Part of our TrepatLab preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Video by @ronjahoutekamer.bsky.social @gloerichlab.bsky.social
Part of our TrepatLab preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Video by @ronjahoutekamer.bsky.social @gloerichlab.bsky.social
So happy for @mvandernet.bsky.social @gloerichlab.bsky.social that this huge amount of work is now published! 🤩
We finally made it over here ! And excited to share our new paper on mechanical forces regulating stem cell plasticity in colorectal cancer, involving force transduction via mechanosensitive calcium channels! www.cell.com/cell-reports...
Mechanosensitive calcium channels and integrins coordinate the reprogramming of colorectal cancer cells into a fetal-like state
van der Net et al. show that mechanical interactions with the stromal component collagen
I trigger reprogramming of colorectal cancer cells into a fetal-like state, through
mechanosensitive integrins ...
www.cell.com
November 18, 2025 at 8:15 AM
So happy for @mvandernet.bsky.social @gloerichlab.bsky.social that this huge amount of work is now published! 🤩
Reposted by Ronja Houtekamer
1/ 🎉Excited to share our new preprint @vignjeviclab.bsky.social @davidbrueckner.bsky.social :
"Self-organization of tumor heterogeneity and plasticity"
biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Tumor heterogeneity and plasticity drive metastasis and relapse. How is tumor patterning coordinated?
A thread👇
"Self-organization of tumor heterogeneity and plasticity"
biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Tumor heterogeneity and plasticity drive metastasis and relapse. How is tumor patterning coordinated?
A thread👇
October 16, 2025 at 9:55 PM
1/ 🎉Excited to share our new preprint @vignjeviclab.bsky.social @davidbrueckner.bsky.social :
"Self-organization of tumor heterogeneity and plasticity"
biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Tumor heterogeneity and plasticity drive metastasis and relapse. How is tumor patterning coordinated?
A thread👇
"Self-organization of tumor heterogeneity and plasticity"
biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Tumor heterogeneity and plasticity drive metastasis and relapse. How is tumor patterning coordinated?
A thread👇
Reposted by Ronja Houtekamer
How do #stemcells integrate information to coordinate fate decisions? Delighted to finally see our work showing how growth factors regulate the mechano-osmotic state of the #nucleus and #chromatin to control #pluripotency exit out! www.nature.com/articles/s41... see 🧵 👇
Mechano-osmotic signals control chromatin state and fate transitions in pluripotent stem cells - Nature Cell Biology
McCreery, Stubb et al. show that mechano-osmotic changes in the nucleus induce general transcriptional repression and prime chromatin for cell fate transitions by relieving repression of specific differentiation genes.
www.nature.com
September 29, 2025 at 4:45 PM
How do #stemcells integrate information to coordinate fate decisions? Delighted to finally see our work showing how growth factors regulate the mechano-osmotic state of the #nucleus and #chromatin to control #pluripotency exit out! www.nature.com/articles/s41... see 🧵 👇
Reposted by Ronja Houtekamer
I am excited to announce that we are looking for a Lab Manager @fmiscience.bsky.social in Basel. If you want to be part of a growing team investigating development and tissue formation, and are enthusiastic about helping set up a new lab, please check out the role:
www.fmi.ch/education-ca...
www.fmi.ch/education-ca...
September 14, 2025 at 11:46 AM
I am excited to announce that we are looking for a Lab Manager @fmiscience.bsky.social in Basel. If you want to be part of a growing team investigating development and tissue formation, and are enthusiastic about helping set up a new lab, please check out the role:
www.fmi.ch/education-ca...
www.fmi.ch/education-ca...
A bit delayed, but excited to still share our latest paper, showing that intercellular forces transduced by E-cadherin activate EGFR-ERK signaling in epithelia by inducing EGFR ligand shedding! Mechanical and biochemical signals can act together within a single, linear cascade! tinyurl.com/mr9mj9j2
E-cadherin mechanotransduction activates EGFR-ERK signaling in epithelial monolayers by inducing ADAM-mediated ligand shedding
Epithelial stretching promotes the release of EGF receptor ligands that stimulate ERK activation.
tinyurl.com
September 13, 2025 at 6:05 PM
A bit delayed, but excited to still share our latest paper, showing that intercellular forces transduced by E-cadherin activate EGFR-ERK signaling in epithelia by inducing EGFR ligand shedding! Mechanical and biochemical signals can act together within a single, linear cascade! tinyurl.com/mr9mj9j2
Reposted by Ronja Houtekamer
🔊 Paper alert
1/ Tuft cells are perhaps the coolest cells in our gut orchestrating host defense, but how do they manage? @julian-buissant.bsky.social provides new insights into tuft cell differentiation, and the development of accurate in vitro models for experimental cell biology 🧫🔬🧬
rdcu.be/exou9
1/ Tuft cells are perhaps the coolest cells in our gut orchestrating host defense, but how do they manage? @julian-buissant.bsky.social provides new insights into tuft cell differentiation, and the development of accurate in vitro models for experimental cell biology 🧫🔬🧬
rdcu.be/exou9
July 23, 2025 at 7:09 PM
🔊 Paper alert
1/ Tuft cells are perhaps the coolest cells in our gut orchestrating host defense, but how do they manage? @julian-buissant.bsky.social provides new insights into tuft cell differentiation, and the development of accurate in vitro models for experimental cell biology 🧫🔬🧬
rdcu.be/exou9
1/ Tuft cells are perhaps the coolest cells in our gut orchestrating host defense, but how do they manage? @julian-buissant.bsky.social provides new insights into tuft cell differentiation, and the development of accurate in vitro models for experimental cell biology 🧫🔬🧬
rdcu.be/exou9
Reposted by Ronja Houtekamer
On cell extrusion in the #intestine!
After 80 years of observations, we finally took a deeper look thanks to 2D #organoids. We report:
3D #forces, #extrusion still only in the villus even without curvature, #lamellipodia generate 3D force.. and more. Have a look!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
After 80 years of observations, we finally took a deeper look thanks to 2D #organoids. We report:
3D #forces, #extrusion still only in the villus even without curvature, #lamellipodia generate 3D force.. and more. Have a look!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
July 4, 2025 at 10:21 AM
On cell extrusion in the #intestine!
After 80 years of observations, we finally took a deeper look thanks to 2D #organoids. We report:
3D #forces, #extrusion still only in the villus even without curvature, #lamellipodia generate 3D force.. and more. Have a look!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
After 80 years of observations, we finally took a deeper look thanks to 2D #organoids. We report:
3D #forces, #extrusion still only in the villus even without curvature, #lamellipodia generate 3D force.. and more. Have a look!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Ronja Houtekamer
I have a 1 year fellowship available (MSc level) for someone interested in studying how nuclear mechanics regulates the timing of mitotic entry. Plus it´s in the beautiful city of Porto! Please spread the word to anyone who might be interested. dozer.i3s.up.pt/applicationm...
Application Management
DOZER.i3s.up.pt
April 3, 2025 at 9:46 AM
I have a 1 year fellowship available (MSc level) for someone interested in studying how nuclear mechanics regulates the timing of mitotic entry. Plus it´s in the beautiful city of Porto! Please spread the word to anyone who might be interested. dozer.i3s.up.pt/applicationm...
Reposted by Ronja Houtekamer
Happy to share our review on methodology for measuring and manipulating mechanical forces with specific focus on developmental biology! Congrats to authors @clemvilleneuve.bsky.social @mccreery.bsky.social and hats off to the community for developing awesome tools www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Measuring and manipulating mechanical forces during development - Nature Cell Biology
This Review discusses the recent advances in experimental approaches to interrogate the mechanical forces that mediate tissue deformations during development, highlighting the insights afforded at bot...
www.nature.com
March 10, 2025 at 1:33 PM
Happy to share our review on methodology for measuring and manipulating mechanical forces with specific focus on developmental biology! Congrats to authors @clemvilleneuve.bsky.social @mccreery.bsky.social and hats off to the community for developing awesome tools www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Ronja Houtekamer
🚨 Paper Alert 🚨
Absolutely delighted to share our last paper on "spatial mechano-transcriptomics" @naturemethods👇!!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Absolutely delighted to share our last paper on "spatial mechano-transcriptomics" @naturemethods👇!!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A computational pipeline for spatial mechano-transcriptomics - Nature Methods
The authors present a computational framework that leverages mechanical force inference and spatial transcriptomics to enable analyses of the interplay between the transcriptomic and mechanical state.
www.nature.com
March 17, 2025 at 12:53 PM
🚨 Paper Alert 🚨
Absolutely delighted to share our last paper on "spatial mechano-transcriptomics" @naturemethods👇!!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Absolutely delighted to share our last paper on "spatial mechano-transcriptomics" @naturemethods👇!!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Ronja Houtekamer
What happens between cells with adhesion differences in crowded tissues? Mechanical cell competition!
Check the final version of our study to learn more about compression-independent cell elimination, interactions at tissue interfaces and the role of force transmission in that
tinyurl.com/4yw97bm3
Check the final version of our study to learn more about compression-independent cell elimination, interactions at tissue interfaces and the role of force transmission in that
tinyurl.com/4yw97bm3
March 16, 2025 at 9:49 AM
What happens between cells with adhesion differences in crowded tissues? Mechanical cell competition!
Check the final version of our study to learn more about compression-independent cell elimination, interactions at tissue interfaces and the role of force transmission in that
tinyurl.com/4yw97bm3
Check the final version of our study to learn more about compression-independent cell elimination, interactions at tissue interfaces and the role of force transmission in that
tinyurl.com/4yw97bm3
Reposted by Ronja Houtekamer
Interested in research on cell-cell junctions and vascular biology? We are recruiting a PhD student!
werkenbij.amsterdamumc.org/en/vacatures...
werkenbij.amsterdamumc.org/en/vacatures...
Vacatures - PhD vascular cell biology - Amsterdam UMC
Are you a motivated researcher with a passion for cell biology and blood vessels? Do you want to uncover the molecular mechanisms that drive vascular function? Join our team and apply now!
werkenbij.amsterdamumc.org
February 4, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Interested in research on cell-cell junctions and vascular biology? We are recruiting a PhD student!
werkenbij.amsterdamumc.org/en/vacatures...
werkenbij.amsterdamumc.org/en/vacatures...
Reposted by Ronja Houtekamer
📣Funded #PhDposition! – Pls RT!
Looking for a passionate PhD student to explore cellular crosstalk in #TumorMicroenvironment combining #organoids #scRNAseq &high-res imaging.
Join us @VetmeduniVienna in a vibrant research environment!
#CancerResearch #PhD
👉 euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/302158
Looking for a passionate PhD student to explore cellular crosstalk in #TumorMicroenvironment combining #organoids #scRNAseq &high-res imaging.
Join us @VetmeduniVienna in a vibrant research environment!
#CancerResearch #PhD
👉 euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/302158
January 3, 2025 at 1:10 PM
📣Funded #PhDposition! – Pls RT!
Looking for a passionate PhD student to explore cellular crosstalk in #TumorMicroenvironment combining #organoids #scRNAseq &high-res imaging.
Join us @VetmeduniVienna in a vibrant research environment!
#CancerResearch #PhD
👉 euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/302158
Looking for a passionate PhD student to explore cellular crosstalk in #TumorMicroenvironment combining #organoids #scRNAseq &high-res imaging.
Join us @VetmeduniVienna in a vibrant research environment!
#CancerResearch #PhD
👉 euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/302158
Reposted by Ronja Houtekamer
New work on #tuft cells, rare guardians of our #gut against invaders. How they work is not known. We show that intestinal tuft types 1&2 are sequentially expressed phenotypes during differentiation. And…we can now generate mature immune-related tuft-2’s in #organoids for more 🔬🧫🧬🔥
shorturl.at/EImjA
shorturl.at/EImjA
Mature tuft cell phenotypes are sequentially expressed along the intestinal crypt-villus axis following cytokine-induced tuft cell hyperplasia
Intestinal tuft cells are epithelial sentinels that trigger host defense upon detection of parasite-derived compounds. While representing interesting targets for immunomodulatory therapies in inflamma...
shorturl.at
December 1, 2024 at 8:45 PM
New work on #tuft cells, rare guardians of our #gut against invaders. How they work is not known. We show that intestinal tuft types 1&2 are sequentially expressed phenotypes during differentiation. And…we can now generate mature immune-related tuft-2’s in #organoids for more 🔬🧫🧬🔥
shorturl.at/EImjA
shorturl.at/EImjA
Perfect reason for my first post here. Super excited to see this work on PIEZO mechanosensing of the intestinal stem cell niche led by Meryem Baghdadi @vignjeviclab.bsky.social and Kim lab out in Science! Honored to have contributed to this story as 2nd author. 🎉
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
PIEZO-dependent mechanosensing is essential for intestinal stem cell fate decision and maintenance
Stem cells perceive and respond to biochemical and physical signals to maintain homeostasis. Yet, it remains unclear how stem cells sense mechanical signals from their niche in vivo. In this work, we ...
www.science.org
December 1, 2024 at 7:17 PM
Perfect reason for my first post here. Super excited to see this work on PIEZO mechanosensing of the intestinal stem cell niche led by Meryem Baghdadi @vignjeviclab.bsky.social and Kim lab out in Science! Honored to have contributed to this story as 2nd author. 🎉
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...