M. Brent Hawkins
@homeobox.bsky.social
350 followers 310 following 76 posts
Developmental genetics and evolution of the vertebrate skeleton. Postdoc in the Harris Lab at Boston Children's Hospital/Harvard Medical School. Every day is fin day. He/him/his.
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homeobox.bsky.social
We take for granted that our hands have two sides and can articulate in an endless number of ways. But what about a fish’s fin? Can a fish know something “like the back of its fin,” or have its future told with a fin palm reading? Check out this bluetorial to find out 👇🧪🧬🐟 doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Schematics depicting the dorsal and ventral sides of fins and limbs
Reposted by M. Brent Hawkins
ischneider.bsky.social
Hey Regen folks 👋 Excited to share that our single-nucleus RNA-seq dataset for Polypterus fin regeneration is now live at the Broad Institute portal! Dive in here: tinyurl.com/5bck22jx
Big thanks to the team for making this happen—looking forward to seeing what you all discover!
UMAP of single nucleus RNAseq dataset of Polypterus fin regeneration
homeobox.bsky.social
The regulation and evolution of proportion is a classic challenge in biology. This is exciting work into the genetic and developmental basis of proportionality using a very cool model. Congrats Ceri! 👏🧪🧬🐭
ceriweber.bsky.social
Vertebral skeletal diversity in mammals is remarkable. How do the differences between vertebral size and shape develop and evolve? See how we tackled this question in our paper published in @natcomms.nature.com today!
Reposted by M. Brent Hawkins
ceriweber.bsky.social
Vertebral skeletal diversity in mammals is remarkable. How do the differences between vertebral size and shape develop and evolve? See how we tackled this question in our paper published in @natcomms.nature.com today!
Reposted by M. Brent Hawkins
denisduboule.bsky.social
Tomorrow wednesday October 15th at 11am, first seminar of @neilshubin.bsky.social , guest Professor @college-de-france.fr on ‘The history we share with fish’. Come, have a seat and enjoy learning where we come from. Free knowledge, no registration🤘
Reposted by M. Brent Hawkins
fishfena.bsky.social
🚨 🚨 Science alert on a #FluorescenceFriday; check my latest paper published in @genetics-gsa.bsky.social where I integrated comparative tissue-specific transcriptomics and speciation genomics to discover two novel craniofacial genes behind pupfish extreme jaw development! tinyurl.com/craniofacial...
homeobox.bsky.social
This is Hilma af Klint coded Esoteric Knowledge
A water color painting of a plant with an esoteric symbol
homeobox.bsky.social
Found my halloween costume this is terrifying
Reposted by M. Brent Hawkins
fishevodevogeno.bsky.social
Hello #fish 🐟 🐠 researchers and PIs of tomorrow! We would be excited to sponsor you for an Ecology, Evolution and Behavior (EEB) Presidential #Postdoc Fellowship application @michiganstateu.bsky.social. Application deadline is Nov 10, so get in touch soom!

#EndlessFishMostBeautiful
homeobox.bsky.social
It is beautiful 🥲
lazaroillustration.bsky.social
"Fishman", proposal for a journal cover.
Commissioned by MY Dennis' lab @mydennis.bsky.social for a study focused on identifying human-specific gene duplications and their role in brain evolution using genomics and zebrafish as model. @dcsoto.bsky.social
#art #digitalart #sciart #fish
Illustration of a fishman creature with human limbs and fish head and tail, interacting with a DNA string
Reposted by M. Brent Hawkins
ritamateus.bsky.social
We will be taking phD students this round!! Apply to our @mpi-cbg.de phD programme and #growwithus
mpi-cbg.de
Our call for PhD students within our International Max Planck Research School for Cell, Developmental and Systems Biology is open! Apply until October 28th. We are looking forward hearing from you! imprs.mpi-cbg.de
Reposted by M. Brent Hawkins
martinvs.bsky.social
My favourite figure from our new paper on lateral line development in Sterlet sturgeon (doi.org/10.7554/eLif...). In this one, we use targeted gene knockout and show that in (mosaic) absence of FoxG1, ectopic electroreceptors develop instead of mechanosensory hair cells!

#fishsci #evo-devo #CRISPR
Reposted by M. Brent Hawkins
jtimmer.bsky.social
The paper: the genetic program that enables digit formation in limbs is derived from the system that drives cformation of the cloaca.

Me, the headline writer:
A headline reading:  "You can hold on to your butts thanks to DNA that evolved in fish"
Reposted by M. Brent Hawkins
carlzimmer.com
How Did Hands Evolve? The Answer Is Behind You. (My story of some surprising evo-devo!) nyti.ms/42Cg8xH
Gray's Anatomy illustration of a hand
Reposted by M. Brent Hawkins
Reposted by M. Brent Hawkins
chasebolt.bsky.social
Our work exploring a new explanation for the regulation of Hoxd genes and the #fin-to-limb transition. 🧪

It was an absolute joy working on this w/ @aurhin.bsky.social and @homeobox.bsky.social @denisduboule.bsky.social @neilshubin.bsky.social

#evo-devo #InHoxWeTrust
How Did Hands Evolve? The Answer Is Behind You.
www.nytimes.com
Reposted by M. Brent Hawkins
denisduboule.bsky.social
Out today. 🙏 again to everyone for this wonderful piece of work, in particular to Aurelie @aurhin.bsky.social Chase @chasebolt.bsky.social and Brent @homeobox.bsky.social. 🙏 also to the Harris lab @fish4walking.bsky.social and @neilshubin.bsky.social @biology-unige.bsky.social @college-de-france.fr
Reposted by M. Brent Hawkins
aurhin.bsky.social
Are digits modified fins, or evolutionary innovations? Read how we tackled this old question from a new angle🧪
A story with @chasebolt.bsky.social, @homeobox.bsky.social and myself, coordinated by @denisduboule.bsky.social from @college-de-france.fr and published in @nature.com today!
#InHoxWeTrust
hoxd13a reporter in a zebrafish larva
homeobox.bsky.social
A few more mutations and maybe my fish can write it themselves!
homeobox.bsky.social
Last Friday I was hosted by @phernandez.bsky.social @evolvwing.bsky.social to give departmental seminar at GWU Biology. Exciting to hear about the great evo-devo being done there by wonderful people in a beautiful city. And future collaborations!Thank you for having me!
A person stands at a podium in front of a screen
Reposted by M. Brent Hawkins
mongeralab.bsky.social
📣Our project, “Mechanometabolic Control of Vertebrate Limb Elongation,” has been funded by Wellcome!
Over the next 8 years, we’ll collaborate with @manningresearch.bsky.social and Nathalie Agar’s group to understand the mechanics of ECM-rich mesenchymal tissues! Funded positions available!🎉
homeobox.bsky.social
Thank you Anna! I wish we could do single cell analysis in loaches like you have done in bats!
homeobox.bsky.social
Thanks Estefania! Please let me know if the students have any questions