Come to Biomalpar xxii!!! We have an outstanding line up of speakers!!! It is a true honor to be an organizer of Biomalpar. It was the first conference I ever attended during my 2nd PhD year so it feels special. And don't miss the beautiful poster image from Hannah Fleckenstein!

EMBL Events@events.embl.org · 8mo ago

Do you want to join a community working to reduce the devastating toll of #malaria by pushing forward new ideas, innovations, and strategies? 🦟 🧬 Registration is now open for #EMBLMalaria: https://s.embl.org/bmp26-01-bl ✍️ Submit your abstract by 18 Feb 🗓️ 27 – 29 May 2026 #BioMalPar

Thanks for the support of @caixaresearch.bsky.social to continue our efforts to use tissue engineering to study cerebral malaria. We will develop stem-cell derived immunocompetent BBB models with microglia to study malaria, in a side by side comparison with spatial transcriptomics in patients.

@caixaresearch.bsky.social · 9mo ago

1/ Cerebral malaria is a severe form of malaria that causes damage to the blood vessels in the brain. With a #HealthResearch grant, @mariabernabeu.bsky.social uses analytical techniques and human 3D models of blood vessels to ⬆️ our understanding and test new therapies. https://tinyurl.com/2vtjnwn6

I’ve been in Toronto at the #astmh meeting these past few days and last night some very good news was presented here: A new malaria drug has proven efficacious in a large trial and could soon be approved.🧪 My story in @science.org (and 🧵on why it's important to come): www.science.org/content/arti...

‘A sigh of relief’: New malaria drug succeeds in large clinical trial

As existing drugs falter because of resistance, the world gets a backup—but hard choices loom on how to use it

science.org

📣Announcing the 4th edition of the EMBL‑IBEC Conference on “Engineering Multicellular Systems”, taking place 11–13 March 2026 in Barcelona. Exploring organoids, mechanobiology, embryo models, organ-on-chip systems, multiomics and more. Abstracts open now! events.ibecbarcelona.eu/embl-ibec-co...

Huge thanks to @mariabernabeu.bsky.social and to everyone else who contributed and made this project possible 🎉

Maria Bernabeu@mariabernabeu.bsky.social · 10mo ago

Pre-print alert 🚨 We answer a longstanding question in the field. Do immune cells cause cerebral malaria? The answer is YES!!!! And independently of P. falciparum accumulation in the brain. www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/...

Pre-print alert 🚨 We answer a longstanding question in the field. Do immune cells cause cerebral malaria? The answer is YES!!!! And independently of P. falciparum accumulation in the brain. www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/...

Innate immune responses to Plasmodium falciparum disrupt the blood-brain barrier

Plasmodium falciparum accumulation at the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a hallmark of cerebral malaria, a life-threatening complication. Conversely, the contribution of the immune response to vascular ...

biorxiv.org

Just hot out of the press! Rory developed a 3D microvessel model that recapitulates physiological pericyte coverage. We found that Plasmodium falciparum egress products disrupt the barrier and halt ang-1 secretion. The activator AKB-9778 could rescue barrier disruption! Congratulations, Rory!

@rorykmlong.bsky.social · 10mo ago

Today my main PHD project in the lab of Dr. Maria Bernabeu was published! Using a 3D brain microvessel model, we show: 1) an unappreciated role of brain pericytes in cerebral malaria pathogenesis 2) Tie-2 activation by AKB-9778 as a potential therapeutic avenue www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....

Then and now... 2022. Helping @rorykmlong.bsky.social and François on midnight experiments. 2025 Helping Rory to finish experiments for François' paper revision. Bonus points: The surprise of new lab members when they found me in the TC room after being > 1 year at my desk.

Back from #ParaFrap! What a fantastic meeting. I feel very privileged to be part of this community! Specially in my heart the new generation of kickass PIs/GL ❤️ (mostly women dominated💪🏻)

Have you ever wondered what happens with your microvessels after exposure to high temperature in fever? In this preprint former postdoc (ans soon to be PI) Viola Introini found that high temperatures cleaves glycocalyx , having severe consequences in malaria www.biorxiv.org/cgi/content/...

Febrile temperature enhances Plasmodium falciparum cytoadhesion by disrupting the endothelial glycocalyx

Fever, a universal host defense in infection and inflammation, paradoxically contributes to neurological complications in malaria. While febrile temperatures enhance the expression of parasite virulen...

biorxiv.org

We are searching for an enthusiastic scientist to join our team and establish annual killifish as a model system for early developmental biology and biophysics! @embl.org @embldbunit.bsky.social Apply here: embl.wd103.myworkdayjobs.com/EMBL/job/Hei... Please re-post 🙏

We are happy to show one ourt first exciting papers. We have developed a blood-brain barrier model to study the disruptive effects caused by the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. First, congratulations to the fearless @liviapiatti.bsky.social and @alinabatzi.bsky.social rdcu.be/ezBl7

Plasmodium falciparum egress disrupts endothelial junctions and activates JAK-STAT signaling in a microvascular 3D blood-brain barrier model

Nature Communications - Here the authors show that Plasmodium falciparum egress products disrupt endothelial barrier and activate JAK-STAT and interferon type response in a 3D blood-brain barrier...

rdcu.be

Our paper has finally graduated from pre-print to peer-reviewed, pretty much unscathed, and is out now! www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...

The essential host genome for Cryptosporidium survival exposes metabolic dependencies that can be leveraged for treatment

An arrayed microscopy-based CRISPR screen revealed host genes affecting multiple infection phenotypes of the intracellular parasite Cryptosporidium. Hits in the host cholesterol biosynthesis pathway a...

cell.com

Pre-print alert 🚨: We have developed 2D and 3D stable iPSC endothelial-differentiation models through dox inducible ETS expression. We demonstrate endothelial identity and used these models for studying malaria pathogenesis research. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Because not all is work...Yesterday we took the opportunity that almost all lab members were around and had a super fun fanta blind testing activity courtesy of Viola Introini!

📅Next Tuesday, we will have a lunch session on ERC grants + ERC grantees @mariabernabeu.bsky.social and Julia Mahamid will share their experience. Infection: pathogens, hosts, and microbiomes www.embl.org/about/info/c...

Infection: pathogens, hosts, and microbiomes

embl.org

Here’s our latest revision of microphysiological systems in parasitology research, published in @plos.org #plospathogens in collaboration with Jorge de-Carvalho (ITQB-NOVA) and @mariabernabeu.bsky.social. Kudos to @mariazalmeida.bsky.social, PhD student, for the heavy lifting of this work.

Leveraging microphysiological systems to expedite understanding of host–parasite interactions

Microphysiological systems (MPS) replicate the dynamic interactions between cells, tissues, and fluids. They have emerged as transformative tools for biology and have been increasingly applied to host...

journals.plos.org

Exciting work at EMBL around malaria, including our lab!

EMBL@embl.org · last yr.

1/ Today is #WorldMalariaDay. At EMBL, we join the global efforts to control malaria with innovative biological approaches. 👉 Swipe through to discover how scientists at EMBL study the malaria parasite and drive progress in global health. 🔗 Read more: www.embl.org/news/tag/mal...

Thank you @silvapereiralab.bsky.social for letting us contribute and learn about sequestration of Trypanosma congolense and develop our first bovine microvessels. Spoilert alert: it presents much higher binding than P. falciparium to bioengineered microvessels

Silva Pereira Lab (Parasite Vascular Interactions)@silvapereiralab.bsky.social · last yr.

Here's a short summary of our most recent paper, published today on @commsbio.bsky.social: We want to understand how Trypanosoma congolense cytoadheres, or sequesters, to the vascular endothelium because sequestration determines clinical outcome and disease severity. (1/7)

Congratulations to Dr. Rory Long, who successfully defended his thesis yesterday! Rory pulled out his project independently, and found that malaria products decrease secretion of Ang-1 in brain pericytes in complex 3Dmodels, and tested therapies that restore ang-Tie2 axis. Cannot be more proud!!!

Happy to announce that we are running the third edition of the EMBL-UNESCO residency on infection biology. If you are an African female scientist and would like to do a research stay at EMBL, my lab is a possible hosting group. Deadline March 31st! www.embl.org/about/info/s...

EMBL@embl.org · last yr.

Maame Ekua Acquah and Oluwaremilekun Grace Ajakaye are the 2024 EMBL-UNESCO fellows. They recently finished three-month residencies in EMBL research groups. Read their stories. 👇 www.embl.org/news/connect... #WomenInSTEM

To the Cell BIology of the Neuron Community out there! The Deadline for our meetings.embo.org/event/25-cel... EMBO workshop is approaching! Register by March 1st and join us in Crete!

Cell Biology of the Nervous System: Cellular Mechanisms of Communication

The exploration of the cell biological aspects of nervous system development, function and health continues delivering groundbreaking pieces of information that push forward our understanding of brai…

meetings.embo.org

@gtavosanis.bsky.social · 2y ago

We are delighted to announce the EMBO Cell Biology of the Nervous system workshop #EMBOcellBioComm. This is a great meeting for interactions and discussion- with a fantastic speaker lineup! Half of the talks are selected from abstracts- check the program and apply! meetings.embo.org/event/25-cel...

Less than one month left to submit your abstract!

EMBL Events@events.embl.org · last yr.

⏰ You have until 3 March to submit your abstract and be part of #EESInfection ➡️ https://s.embl.org/ees25-04-bl 🦠 🍄 This symposium will bring together researchers working on different pathogens and pave the way for new strategies to overcome current challenges in the treatment of infections 💡

The @mimsumea.bsky.social , @scilifelab.se and @embl.org workshop "infection across scales" was a success. Special thanks to @mimsumea.bsky.social Oliver and Nora for being fantastic hosts and organizing once in a lifetime networking activities.

The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS)@mimsumea.bsky.social · 2y ago

Opening of the Infection Biology Across Scales workshop in Umeå on 3-4 February. The workshop is organised by @embl.org, SciLifeLab and @mimsumea.bsky.social, focusing on exploring complementary platforms and capabilities of the 3 organizations in light of the most important scientific challenges.

The Kowalinski group's latest study on trypanosome parasites reveals significant differences between the trypanosomal and human nuclear cap-binding complex. This key player in cellular RNA metabolism could be a potential target for novel anti-parasitic drugs. www.embl.org/news/science...

TODAY is the last day of abstract submission for @cshlmeetings.bsky.social Brain Barriers 2025...get them in so you will not miss presenting at one of the best CNS barriers meeting in the world! 🧠 + 🚧 #cshlbbb @caromenard666.bsky.social @ayalbenzvi.bsky.social

Brain Barriers

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Meetings & Courses -- a private, non-profit institution with research programs in cancer, neuroscience, plant biology, genomics, bioinformatics.

meetings.cshl.edu

Siegenthaler Lab@siegenthalerlab.bsky.social · 2y ago

🚨 CNS barriers scientists...come join us for #cshlbbb 2025! Submit your abstracts by January 24th...we pick MANY talks from abstracts - we look forward to seeing you in April!

Not all astrocytes regulate blood-brain barrier integrity, but those expressing Dmp1 apparently do ! #cerebrovascular #BloodBrainBarrier www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Regulation of blood-brain barrier integrity by Dmp1-expressing astrocytes through mitochondrial transfer

A subset of astrocytes expressing Dmp1 helps maintain blood-brain barrier by transferring mitochondria to endothelial cells.

science.org

We are very excited to announce a new @events.embl.org conference with a general focus on all infections with the goal to foster discussions across researchers working on multiple pathogens. We couldn't find a conference as such in Europe, so we decided to organize it 😊 www.embl.org/about/info/c...

📣 Please share: We’re hiring a tenure-track Group Leader in Multicellular Systems to explore the molecular and cellular mechanisms driving the formation, maintenance, or destabilization of tissues, organs and organisms. Apply at: www.fmi.ch/education-ca...

🦟🌍 Join us for the 21st edition of #EMBLMalaria as we strengthen partnerships, share insights, and drive innovations to combat malaria's toll and advance global health. 📅 20 – 22 May 2025 📍 EMBL Heidelberg and Virtual 📝 Submit abstract by 25 Feb 👉🏻 s.embl.org/bmp25-01-bl #malaria #epidemiology