(aka)Matsu lab

A white board with post-it notes organized in 4 categories: science (what we research), how we do research, lab culture/environment, and how we share research.

During last week's #LabRetreat we thought about what we research, but also how we do research, how we share research with each other and the world, and how to create an environment that fosters collaborative, supportive, and great science!

sites.uw.edu/matsulab/phi...

Matt takes a selfie with all the lab members, who are sitting in couches around a table with lots of snack. There's a modern art painting and a white board full of post-its in the background.

Retreat must-haves:
- snacks
- comfy couches
- a view of Seattle
- white board and post-it notes
- snacks

#LabRetreat

The Matsulab smiles in front of the Seattle skyline. Tall people are squatting in the front, and shorter folks are in the back row.

Our outies don't know we're doing this.

#LabRetreat

Selfie of the Akamatsu Lab! Matt, Emma, and Hanna are wearing regalia. Hanna and Emma are holding flowers. Everyone is smiling in the sun.

Congratulations to our newly graduated Biology Majors Emma and Hanna!
🙌🏼🎉🎆

#UWGraduation

@uwbiology.bsky.social

Members of the Vasquez and Akamatsu Lab smile in front of bowling lanes.

Had a great time bowling with @claudiaraudia.bsky.social's lab!

Any similarities to bowling pins are purely coincidental! 🎳

When the PIs color coordinate for bowling...

@claudiaraudia.bsky.social

Hanna, Emma, Matt, Ben, and Aadarsh in front of a poster titled "Effects of Arp2/3 Complex Distributions of Endocytosis in Simulation

Congrats Emma Koves and Benjamin Brown on a terrific poster at the Undergraduate Research Symposium !!

Celebrating Matt's (belated) birthday with a cake and candle that is fire safe! 🎂🔥🎉

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center Fred Hutch is dedicated to the elimination of cancer and related diseases as causes of human suffering and death.

The Termini Lab at Fred Hutch in Seattle is recruiting a Lab Aide to join our group - more information and instructions to apply can be found at the posting below 👇🧫👇🔬👇🐁
careers-fhcrc.icims.com/jobs/29265/l...

Abhi gives a presentation titled "An Integrated Approach to Study Load Adaptation by Endocytic Actin Networks". Along with the title, logos for UW biology and the Akamatsu Lab can be seen on the first slide.

Grad student Abhishek presented his research on using an integrated approach to study load adaptation of actin networks in endocytosis at the MBTG talks today!
👏

Kicking off the new year pondering about our goals and priorities for this year using rocks, pebbles, and sand.

#RocksPebblesSand #MatsuLab #GroupMeeting #AcademicLife

#CellBio2024

Abhishek and Matt smiling in front of Abhishek's poster

Abhishek points to his poster at the cell biology conference using a 3D printed model of an actin filament capped with capping protein.

Sunday's poster session at #ASCB2024 allegedly featured 3D printed protein models, matsulab stickers, and engaging discussion! Congrats, Abhi!
@ascbiology.bsky.social

The MatsuLab smiles sitting around a table with a card game, pizza boxes, and drinks. FLTR: Matt, Atsushi, Valerie, Maggie, Aadarsh, Abishek, Ben, Hanna and Emma

Pizza, "Down the Ave," and good company!
👾

As part of UW Libraries Storytelling Fellows: Video Storytelling workshop, Valerie (Akamatsu Lab lab manager) created a short digital story about the collective behavior of actin in cells, and an overview of the lab's research focus. Digital Story: What drives collective behavior in cells?

Check out the digital story that @valeriebenti.com put together as part of UW Libraries Video Storytelling Workshop that's all about actin, endocytosis, and what we work on in the #MatsuLab!
youtu.be/4PNVl69UH6E

A 3D printed actin with googly eyes end a little yellow construction hat on its "head".

New lab mascot, maybe?
(Yes, we already have stickers made!)

#ActinArchitect #3DPrinting #GooglyEyes #LabLife

Members of the MatsuLab and Termini Lab on a dock wearing life vests after kayaking.

Members of the MatsuLab on a dock wearing life vests after kayaking.

Members of the MatsuLab and Termini Lab kayaking in Union Bay with Mount Ranier in the background.

Members of the MatsuLab and Termini Lab at a happy hour.

Yesterday was a perfect day for "beta kayactin" and drinks with the Termini Lab!

#MatsuLab #TerminiLab #AkaMini

Abhi, Maggie, Valerie, and Matt cheer with red cups over a table full of snacks to celebrate the occasion!

Congratulations to Abhishek for successfully passing his general exam! #MatsuLab's first PhC and we couldn't be more proud!

🍾🍰🥼

Valerie stands next to a poster with the title "Gene-edited hiPSC-derived lumenoids for imaging endocytic dynamics in a 3D environment.

First #MatsuLab poster presented by @valeriebenti.com at the ISCRM Stem Cell Symposium last week!

Lab members Hanna, Valerie, Emma, Maggie, and Abhi sit around a table with Vietnamese food.

#TBT to a recent lab lunch where we got to welcome our new lab member Emma!

Danish stands next to his capstone project poster titled "Analyzing cell morphology in response to immune stimuli"

Congratulations to #MastuLab member Danish, who presented his capstone project on Tuesday and is graduating today!
🎉🥳

Six MatsuLab members sit around a red picnic table having lunch.

Fueling our research with some falafel!

(The crooked photo is to commemorate a crooked table 🙃)
#MatsuLab #LabLunch

Six MatsuLab members sit around a red picnic table having lunch.

Fueling our research with some falafel!

(The crooked photo is to commemorate a crooked table 🙃)
#MatsuLab #LabLunch

The MatsuLab members wear a traditional Pakistani hat during group meeting.

Presents from Pakistan to keep our noggins warm!

A sign of a cell with a bowler hat, small mustache, and googley eyes named "Chiller Chaplin". A blue magnet says: "The world needs more women scientists" and another magnet shows a platypus on a sled in a snowglobe.

A sign of a cell wearing glasses and a RBG collar, with googley eyes, named "Ruth Bader Droplet Generator"

[2/2]

Our main lab -20ºC Freezer: Chiller Chaplin
The ddPCR droplet generator: Ruth Bader Droplet Generator

We have fun in the #MatsuLab!

A microscope with a label showing a cell wearing a fedora hat and googley eyes named "Clyde"

A laboratory instrument with above it a little sign with a cell wearing a beret and googley eyes, named "Bonney"

A sign with a little cell with three strands of hair like Phil from the Rugrats and googley eyes.

A sign with a little cell with three strands of hair and a pink bow like Lil from the Rugrats and googley eyes.

Meet our most recent lab equipment name updates!

Our cloning platform and microscope hub: Bonney & Clyde
Our Biosafety Cabinets: Lil & Phil

[1/2]

Valerie is smiling, Jonathan is holding a box and smiling to, and Maggie is throwing up her arms in joy. In the background, we see a suburban neighborhood and a little piece of a delivery truck.

Sometimes, you just have to be your own Santa.

@valeriebenti.com , Maggie, and Jonathan went on an adventure yesterday to pick up a piece of equipment, and would like to thank airtags, views of Mt. Ranier, and NOT the delivery service for their involvement.

Matsulab members sitting on the floor in a brainstorming session with post its on a roll of white paper.

matsulab members sit around a virtual screen

Matsulab members sitting on the floor in a brainstorming session with post its on a roll of white paper.

matsulab members sitting on the floor and talking

In-action pictures from our #LabRetreat on Saturday!

Selfie of the MatsuLab members in front of the Space Needle at sunset

Post-its with stick figure drawings of the absent lab members, with the space needle in the background

Seattle Sunset, with a view on the Space Needle

We could not get enough of the beautiful sunset! Even the lab members that could not attend got to enjoy it ! #MatsuLab #LabRetreat

The MatsuLab Members pose with the Seattle Space Needle in the Background.

We had a wonderful time at our #LabRetreat, looking back, looking ahead, and looking at a beautiful view of the Space Needle!