Congrats to ISTA’s David Vijatovic @neurodave.bsky.social​ on being named a 2026 Schmidt Science Fellow! As part of this prestigious postdoc program, David aims to tackle the build-up of plastic pollutants in the brain.

🔗 https://bit.ly/4uQxFyF

@schmidtfellows.bsky.social​

A study in Nature shows that the single-celled form of a tiny, aquatic organism can turn into a multicellular version by three different routes. The discovery adds insight to the possible origins of multicellular life, suggesting a previously unrecognized degree of flexibility. 🧪

A paper in Nature describes a collection of soft‑bodied fossils discovered in a quarry in China, dating to around 512 million years ago. The Huayuan biota contains 153 animal species from 16 major groups, of which 59% are previously undiscovered species. go.nature.com/49KUOdw #Paleosky 🧪

LICONN, an optical imaging technique for brain tissue developed by ISTA scientists in collaboration with Google Research, has been recognized by @nature.com​ as one of the seven technologies to make a splash in 2026!

Read more: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-00188-6

🔬 New paper in Developmental Biology 🐟
Our researchers have now tested a largely ignored hypothesis—that the geometry of an embryo drives its development. Read more in the 🧵below.

📷 Zebrafish in ISTA’s Aquatic Facility.

ISTA Assistant Professor Lora Sweeney becomes an @embo.org​ Young Investigator! Using Xenopus frog as a model organism, her research focuses on molecular, cellular, and neural circuit components that cause differences in motor behavior. Congratulations, Lora!👏

i'm sure this is a very serious article or whatever, but...girl, your cells!