Sophie Acton

Lymph node fibroblast phenotypes and immune crosstalk regulated by podoplanin activity Makris et al. show that podoplanin regulates the transcription profile of lymph node fibroblasts. Podoplanin deletion drives inflammation, disrupts lymph node architecture, and attenuates stromal/immu...

Our latest paper is finally out! We are showing the significance of the podoplanin/CLEC-2 signaling axis beyond controlling cellular mechanics and actomyosin contractility.
#fibroblasts #podoplanin #stroma #inflammation

@actonlab.bsky.social

www.cell.com/cell-reports...

🔬 Calling all researchers! 📢

Submit your research or reviews on myeloid cells for a special collection curated by experts!

Dive into the latest on their role in health & disease, and contribute to cutting-edge immunology. 🧬

👉 Learn more & submit: bit.ly/43OULe9

MRes Computational Cell Biophysics virtual open events Join one of our online open day sessions to find out more about UCL's Computational Cell Biophysics MRes.

Learn more about UCL's Computational Cell Biophysics MRes by registering for one of our virtual open events on Wednesday 9 April: www.ucl.ac.uk/lifesciences...

Contribute to the latest research on neuroinflammation! 🧠🔬

We’re inviting submissions on microglia, CNS immunopathology, and novel immune interactions in the brain.

Submit by June 2025!

📄 Learn more: bit.ly/3XAlsPV

🐟 Did you know the immune system might be linked to the lunar cycle? A new study on freshwater three-spined sticklebacks suggests a tiny endogenous tidal rhythm in immune gene expression! 🌊🔬

Read more in Discovery Immunology 👉 bit.ly/4hMtCMm #Immunology

Cartoon showing key mechanotransduction signalling pathways to the nucleus. Mechanosensitive ion channels at the plasma and nuclear membranes allow Ca2+ entry into the cytoplasm and nucleus, activating downstream signalling pathways. NE stretching opens NPCs, facilitating entry of transcription factors (TF) and transcriptional coregulators (TCR) that alter gene expression. Additionally, NE stretching activates Ca2+ channels in the ER, promoting Ca2+ entry into the nucleus. Stretch-induced activation of cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) further drives the arachidonic acid (AA) pathway, leading to gene expression changes.

In their Review, Julien Morival, Anna Hazelwood and Jan Lammerding @lammerdinglab.bsky.social discuss new insights and technological advances in understanding nuclear mechanotransduction.
journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...

Journal of Cell Science cover featuring a transmission electron micrograph of the stacked membranous discs which form the outer segments of photoreceptor cells.

Issue 4 is complete

Explore our ToC: journals.biologists.com/jcs/issue/13...

Our cover image shows the stacked membranous discs which form the outer segments of photoreceptor cells. See article from Mohona Gupta, Gregory Pazour and colleagues: journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...

NEW @preprintclub.bsky.social Journal Club of @biorxiv-immuno.bsky.social paper by @makris1.bsky.social @actonlab.bsky.social showing that loss of podoplanin in fibroblastic reticular cells results in decreased antibody levels and smaller germinal centres after immunization

Lymph Node Fibroblast Phenotypes and Immune Crosstalk Regulated by Podoplanin Activity Lymph nodes are uniquely organised niches for immune interactions. Fibroblastic reticular cells (FRCs) facilitate immune cell communication and regulate immune function by producing growth factors, ch...

And Erika McCartney from Toronto will present a preprint about the effect of Podoplanin expression on the phenotypes and immunoregulatory properties of fibroblasts in lymph nodes. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

On #WorldCancerDay, we meet with @actonlab.bsky.social where Sophie Acton delves into the interactions between immune cells and support cells in lymph nodes and tumours. She discusses how fibroblasts influence immune responses and their potential in cancer therapy.
www.ucl.ac.uk/lifesciences...

From left to right: Sophie Acton, Pedro Carvalho, Guillaume Jacquemet, Charlotte Kirchhelle and Aryeh Warmflash.

Also in Issue 2:
- Research Highlights on axon guidance, muscle fibres & EGFR signalling
- Meet our Associate Editors, Sophie Acton @actonlab.bsky.social, Pedro Carvalho, @guijacquemet.bsky.social, @ckirchhelle.bsky.social & Aryeh Warmflash
- GAG lyases Review
journals.biologists.com/jcs/issue/13...

From left to right in individual pictures: Sophie Acton, Pedro Carvalho, Guillaume Jacquemet, Charlotte Kirchhelle and Aryeh Warmflash.

JCS Editor-in-Chief @drmichaelway.bsky.social introduces our new Associate Editors.

We are delighted to welcome Sophie Acton @actonlab.bsky.social, Pedro Carvalho, @guijacquemet.bsky.social, @ckirchhelle.bsky.social and Aryeh Warmflash to the JCS team.
journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...

Sophie Acton

Sophie @actonlab.bsky.social will handle manuscripts on immune cell biology, immunology, tumour microenvironment and lymphoid tissues. You can learn more about Sophie’s research in our Cell Scientist to Watch interview from 2020:
journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...

Happy to share that my PhD work got published in the special issue dedicated to the 100-year anniversary of the Spemann-Mangold Organiser:

Tissue mechanics modulate morphogen signalling to induce the head organiser
doi.org/10.1016/j.cd...
With @mayorlab.bsky.social and Guillaume Charras

1/n

Super talk at #EMDS2024 by Anna Obenauf on myeloid cell hubs for T cell interactions in cancer 👏

And this is coming out in Nature 🧪 in just a few hours - congrats to Anais, Guillem, Anna & all authors 🥳🎉

@aelewaut.bsky.social
@guillemxtivill.bsky.social
@obenaufa.bsky.social
@impvienna.bsky.social

Dear Immunology aficionados, you like to hear some exciting short lectures about the latest immunological discoveries from prominent scientists? Then join the virtual ImmuneAlliance Seminar series! Every 3rd Wed each month. For the link: dgfi.org/immune-allia.... #dgfi #ydgfi

UK Membrane Trafficking 2024

Who doesn’t like a deadline that gets brought forward?

Please register by 3rd December - King’s need longer to make the sandwiches than I previously thought!

estore.kcl.ac.uk/conferences-...

Programme coming soon!

amazing, massive congratulations!

single cell RNAseq data showing shifts in fibroblast phenotypes after genetic deletion of Podoplanin in lymph node stroma.

Our latest preprint! - led by @makris1.bsky.social
we find that Podoplanin expression in lymphoid tissue fibroblasts regulated their inflammatory signalling and crosstalk with immune cell populations
doi.org/10.1101/2022...

My turn to create a starter pack for scientists using live imaging in their research! Of course, I’ve likely missed many—please let me know who else I should include. Thanks!
go.bsky.app/KYYr7xc
#liveimaging #livevellimaging #microscopy

Pre-announcing the EMBO/EMBL symposium "Mechanobiology Across the Tree of Life", Heidelberg, 9-12 June 2026. It is still very very far away, but save the date 🗓️. With Alba Diz-Munoz, @nicolettapetridou.bsky.social , Kirsty Wan @micromotility.bsky.social, Enrique Rojas.
www.embl.org/about/info/c...

£4m funding renewal for lung cancer research in Manchester and London - Cancer Research UK - Cancer News The Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence will continue its groundbreaking research with up to £4m of funding support from ScottishPower.

We’ve renewed funding for our Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence for the next 5 years!

With up to £4m support from our partner ScottishPower, researchers will continue to find new ways to beat
#LungCancer 👇

@cruk-mi.bsky.social @thecrick.bsky.social news.cancerresearchuk.org/2024/11/20/4...

A group of people in front of a building

We took our *first* lab picture!

You can get to know us on the now updated website.

delaslab.com

Bear with us while we get some cool science done 🧪🧫🔬👩‍💻. It's slow but it will happen 💪

We’ve jumped on board fully here on 🦋
A starter pack of those working on our favourite cell … the T cell 🥰🙈🥰

If you want an add let us know

go.bsky.app/8B5P25c

Ecoimmunology. Fundamental discovery lab-based immunology typically focuses on defined model systems—(in vitro or in vivo models such as mice or ex vivo tissues) to understand immune programming in the context of biological processes, health, and disease. In contrast, disease ecology focuses on the role of the environment and considers population dynamics and individual variation. Whilst there is some limited overlap in disciplines, the area of ecoimmunology aims to bridge these gaps and takes a more holistic approach to understanding what shapes the immune system and thereby health.

Delighted to share our latest in @discovimmunol.bsky.social with @kathelse.bsky.social Holly Shiels, Iris Mair & Susanne Shultz. Climate change, pollution and changing land use impact immune function, driving chronic inflammatory disease and create exposure to infections (new & old). 🧪 #Immunosky

UCL – University College London UCL is consistently ranked as one of the top ten universities in the world (QS World University Rankings 2010-2022) and is No.2 in the UK for research power (Research Excellence Framework 2021).

🚨🚨🚨Calling aspiring group leaders! We've just opened applications for group leader fellowship sponsorship to start a lab in UCL NPP. I started on the fellowship route - it's a great way to begin your independent lab. Reach out if you have any qs! #jobs #neuroskyence www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...

Can I ask you to share a PhD advert at Bristol Uni please? Rhomboid proteases play a role in neurons that is essential for life- but it is not characterised. Got a student interested in cell biology, electrophysiology and neurobiology? Send them our way! tinyurl.com/56f24f7c

UCL – University College London UCL is consistently ranked as one of the top ten universities in the world (QS World University Rankings 2010-2022) and is No.2 in the UK for research power (Research Excellence Framework 2021).

🚨4yr PhD in Infection & Immunity🚨
Hosted at #UCL in the new Institute for Immunity & Transplantation (Pears Building, north London)

3x6wk rotations before selecting a lab for PhD

Deadline: Jan 10

(Home tuition Fees+stipend)

www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...

#AcademicSky #PhDOpportunity #Immunosky

Beautiful paper from Burkhard Ludewig’s group showing the importance of immunoregulatory stroma to support anti-tumour immunity.

www.cell.com/action/showP...

MRes Computational Cell Biophysics At the forefront of interdisciplinary research

Our interdisciplinary MRes is recruiting students for Sept 2025 entry : www.ucl.ac.uk/lifesciences...