Rory Cooper
@rorylcooper.bsky.social
Developmental biologist investigating the emergence of patterns in diverse embryos. Research Fellow at the University of Sheffield 🐊 🦈 🐥
https://linktr.ee/rorylcooper
https://linktr.ee/rorylcooper
🚨 Come join us @sheffielduni.bsky.social for a PhD on the evolution and development of feathers and flight! 🐣🔬
This project is supervised by @matt-towers.bsky.social & @alexgfletcher.bsky.social, and I'm excited to be involved as a project advisor. Please share!
www.findaphd.com/phds/project... 🧪
This project is supervised by @matt-towers.bsky.social & @alexgfletcher.bsky.social, and I'm excited to be involved as a project advisor. Please share!
www.findaphd.com/phds/project... 🧪
November 3, 2025 at 2:46 PM
🚨 Come join us @sheffielduni.bsky.social for a PhD on the evolution and development of feathers and flight! 🐣🔬
This project is supervised by @matt-towers.bsky.social & @alexgfletcher.bsky.social, and I'm excited to be involved as a project advisor. Please share!
www.findaphd.com/phds/project... 🧪
This project is supervised by @matt-towers.bsky.social & @alexgfletcher.bsky.social, and I'm excited to be involved as a project advisor. Please share!
www.findaphd.com/phds/project... 🧪
I’ll be speaking about the mechanical development of crocodile and tortoise head scales next Wednesday at 4pm for the @tlmcambridge.bsky.social seminar series. Subscribe to the mailing list to hear more about my work, and that of @maltemederacke.bsky.social!
lists.cam.ac.uk/sympa/subscr...
lists.cam.ac.uk/sympa/subscr...
October 30, 2025 at 11:39 AM
I’ll be speaking about the mechanical development of crocodile and tortoise head scales next Wednesday at 4pm for the @tlmcambridge.bsky.social seminar series. Subscribe to the mailing list to hear more about my work, and that of @maltemederacke.bsky.social!
lists.cam.ac.uk/sympa/subscr...
lists.cam.ac.uk/sympa/subscr...
Developing scales on the head of a shark embryo, stained with YoPro1 iodide (labelling cell nuclei) and imaged with light sheet microscopy 🦈🔬🧪
July 30, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Developing scales on the head of a shark embryo, stained with YoPro1 iodide (labelling cell nuclei) and imaged with light sheet microscopy 🦈🔬🧪
Shark embryos of four different developmental stages, growing outside of their eggcases 🦈 🧪
July 16, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Shark embryos of four different developmental stages, growing outside of their eggcases 🦈 🧪
Had a lovely time at the Northern England Developmental Biology meeting on Thursday, and UK Evo Devo on Friday. Great to hear about the fascinating ongoing #DevBio research in the UK and beyond!
July 13, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Had a lovely time at the Northern England Developmental Biology meeting on Thursday, and UK Evo Devo on Friday. Great to hear about the fascinating ongoing #DevBio research in the UK and beyond!
Here's a tortoise embryo developing inside its egg. Check out our new article in @cp-iscience.bsky.social to learn how molecular and mechanical systems sculpt their intricate head scales 🐢🧪
www.cell.com/iscience/ful...
www.cell.com/iscience/ful...
June 26, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Here's a tortoise embryo developing inside its egg. Check out our new article in @cp-iscience.bsky.social to learn how molecular and mechanical systems sculpt their intricate head scales 🐢🧪
www.cell.com/iscience/ful...
www.cell.com/iscience/ful...
Head scales of the Sulcata tortoise, imaged with light sheet microscopy. Our new study in @cp-iscience.bsky.social reveals that their emergence is controlled by both chemical cues and mechanical forces. Read the full article here 🐢🔬🧪
www.cell.com/iscience/ful...
www.cell.com/iscience/ful...
June 10, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Head scales of the Sulcata tortoise, imaged with light sheet microscopy. Our new study in @cp-iscience.bsky.social reveals that their emergence is controlled by both chemical cues and mechanical forces. Read the full article here 🐢🔬🧪
www.cell.com/iscience/ful...
www.cell.com/iscience/ful...
This is the skull of a tortoise embryo imaged with light sheet microscopy. Check out our new article in @cp-iscience.bsky.social to learn how both chemical signalling and mechanical forces sculpt their intricate head scales 🐢🔬🧪
www.cell.com/iscience/ful...
www.cell.com/iscience/ful...
June 5, 2025 at 12:15 PM
This is the skull of a tortoise embryo imaged with light sheet microscopy. Check out our new article in @cp-iscience.bsky.social to learn how both chemical signalling and mechanical forces sculpt their intricate head scales 🐢🔬🧪
www.cell.com/iscience/ful...
www.cell.com/iscience/ful...
This is the leg of a hatchling chicken, showing their precisely arranged scales 🐣. Read our new article in @royalsocietypublishing.org's Open Biology to learn how they develop, and how we can mechanically transform them into a pattern of brain-like folds! 🧪
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
April 16, 2025 at 4:10 PM
This is the leg of a hatchling chicken, showing their precisely arranged scales 🐣. Read our new article in @royalsocietypublishing.org's Open Biology to learn how they develop, and how we can mechanically transform them into a pattern of brain-like folds! 🧪
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
Great to see our chicken wing image featured on the cover of @plosbiology.org 🐣🔬! To learn more about how these feathers develop, check out the full article here ⬇️🧪
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
@lanevol.bsky.social @genevunige.bsky.social
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
@lanevol.bsky.social @genevunige.bsky.social
April 14, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Great to see our chicken wing image featured on the cover of @plosbiology.org 🐣🔬! To learn more about how these feathers develop, check out the full article here ⬇️🧪
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
@lanevol.bsky.social @genevunige.bsky.social
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
@lanevol.bsky.social @genevunige.bsky.social
This microCT image shows shark skin denticles— small tooth-like scales capable of reducing drag and improving hydrodynamics 🔬🦈 🧪
April 11, 2025 at 10:02 AM
This microCT image shows shark skin denticles— small tooth-like scales capable of reducing drag and improving hydrodynamics 🔬🦈 🧪
This is the head of a chicken embryo after 16 days of development, imaged with light sheet microscopy 🐣🔬🧪
April 10, 2025 at 8:33 AM
This is the head of a chicken embryo after 16 days of development, imaged with light sheet microscopy 🐣🔬🧪
Thrilled that our image was selected for the cover of @royalsocietypublishing.org's Open Biology! We experimentally induced a developmental shift from normal footpad scales to mechanically-driven folding on chicken embryo digits 🐣🔬. Stay tuned—the full article is coming soon! 🧪 #DevBio
April 9, 2025 at 10:41 AM
Thrilled that our image was selected for the cover of @royalsocietypublishing.org's Open Biology! We experimentally induced a developmental shift from normal footpad scales to mechanically-driven folding on chicken embryo digits 🐣🔬. Stay tuned—the full article is coming soon! 🧪 #DevBio
Come check out poster 185 in tonight's session at #biologists100 🐣! And for more detail, here's the full article recently published in @plosbiology.org
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
March 25, 2025 at 8:14 AM
Come check out poster 185 in tonight's session at #biologists100 🐣! And for more detail, here's the full article recently published in @plosbiology.org
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
On the train to #biologists100!
Come check out poster 185 and talk to me about organs that grow from the skin 🐣 🐊
Come check out poster 185 and talk to me about organs that grow from the skin 🐣 🐊
March 24, 2025 at 9:23 AM
On the train to #biologists100!
Come check out poster 185 and talk to me about organs that grow from the skin 🐣 🐊
Come check out poster 185 and talk to me about organs that grow from the skin 🐣 🐊
Check out these feather buds on the chicken embryo's wing! Our latest study @plosbiology.org reveals that temporary inhibition of sonic hedgehog signalling transforms feathers into simple, protofeather-like structures—similar to those of their dinosaur ancestors🔬🦖🧪
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
March 21, 2025 at 10:06 AM
Check out these feather buds on the chicken embryo's wing! Our latest study @plosbiology.org reveals that temporary inhibition of sonic hedgehog signalling transforms feathers into simple, protofeather-like structures—similar to those of their dinosaur ancestors🔬🦖🧪
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
Check out this baby crocodile emerging from its egg 🥚 🐊 And read our recent article in @nature.com to learn how compressive forces sculpt their intricate head scales 🧪
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@lanevol.bsky.social @genevunige.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@lanevol.bsky.social @genevunige.bsky.social
February 7, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Check out this baby crocodile emerging from its egg 🥚 🐊 And read our recent article in @nature.com to learn how compressive forces sculpt their intricate head scales 🧪
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@lanevol.bsky.social @genevunige.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@lanevol.bsky.social @genevunige.bsky.social
Our research made the cover of @nature.com 🎉! Read our article to learn how compressive forces sculpt the intricate head scales of crocodiles 🐊🧪 @lanevol.bsky.social @genevunige.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
January 9, 2025 at 8:52 AM
Our research made the cover of @nature.com 🎉! Read our article to learn how compressive forces sculpt the intricate head scales of crocodiles 🐊🧪 @lanevol.bsky.social @genevunige.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
After leaving Geneva, I've already found Sheffield's answer to the Jet d'Eau ⛲ 😍
December 23, 2024 at 11:39 AM
After leaving Geneva, I've already found Sheffield's answer to the Jet d'Eau ⛲ 😍
Here are the different tissue layers of the crocodile embryo's jaws, segmented from light sheet microscopy data. The growth and material properties of these tissues mediate the mechanical patterning of crocodile head scales 🐊 🧪
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
December 16, 2024 at 1:54 PM
Here are the different tissue layers of the crocodile embryo's jaws, segmented from light sheet microscopy data. The growth and material properties of these tissues mediate the mechanical patterning of crocodile head scales 🐊 🧪
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
This video shows the mechanical patterning of crocodile head scales 🐊. Read our new @natureportfolio.bsky.social article to learn more ⬇️ 🧪
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
December 14, 2024 at 5:14 PM
This video shows the mechanical patterning of crocodile head scales 🐊. Read our new @natureportfolio.bsky.social article to learn more ⬇️ 🧪
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Here's a model of the crocodile embryo's jaws, showing bone (light brown), dermis (pink), epidermis (red), collagen fibres (purple) and multisensory organs (orange). These features are essential for the mechanical patterning of their head scales 🐊
Learn more here ⬇️🧪
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Learn more here ⬇️🧪
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
December 13, 2024 at 1:15 PM
Here's a model of the crocodile embryo's jaws, showing bone (light brown), dermis (pink), epidermis (red), collagen fibres (purple) and multisensory organs (orange). These features are essential for the mechanical patterning of their head scales 🐊
Learn more here ⬇️🧪
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Learn more here ⬇️🧪
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
This is the upper jaw of a crocodile embryo, with nuclear staining in orange & proliferating cells in blue. This data helped us to build a mechanical simulation of crocodile head scale patterning. Learn more here ⬇️ 🧪
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
December 12, 2024 at 3:10 PM
This is the upper jaw of a crocodile embryo, with nuclear staining in orange & proliferating cells in blue. This data helped us to build a mechanical simulation of crocodile head scale patterning. Learn more here ⬇️ 🧪
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Check out the mesmerizing moment - a crocodile embryo hatching from its egg! 🥚🐊
Our new research in @natureportfolio.bsky.social reveals how compressive forces, rather than gene interactions, sculpt their intricate head scales - learn more here ⬇️
www.nature.com/articles/s41... 🧪
Our new research in @natureportfolio.bsky.social reveals how compressive forces, rather than gene interactions, sculpt their intricate head scales - learn more here ⬇️
www.nature.com/articles/s41... 🧪
December 12, 2024 at 8:44 AM
Check out the mesmerizing moment - a crocodile embryo hatching from its egg! 🥚🐊
Our new research in @natureportfolio.bsky.social reveals how compressive forces, rather than gene interactions, sculpt their intricate head scales - learn more here ⬇️
www.nature.com/articles/s41... 🧪
Our new research in @natureportfolio.bsky.social reveals how compressive forces, rather than gene interactions, sculpt their intricate head scales - learn more here ⬇️
www.nature.com/articles/s41... 🧪
This is the face of a shark! I've stained the mineralised tissues to show that their teeth and scales are both made of the same enamel-like material 🦈 🦷 🧪
December 11, 2024 at 10:01 AM
This is the face of a shark! I've stained the mineralised tissues to show that their teeth and scales are both made of the same enamel-like material 🦈 🦷 🧪