Mike Piacentino

Since APOD binds membrane lipids to regulate their organization, peroxidation, and metabolism, this reveals that lipid management is an important regulatory layer that tunes receptor signaling during early embryonic development!

Plus, FGF signaling activates expression of APOD, building a positive feedback loop! This means that FGFs ensure their robust signaling by recruiting APOD-dependent lipid management. Without this feedback, inner ear development fails.

We asked how tissues reliably read morphogen signals to make precise fate decisions. This led us to find the secreted lipid chaperone APOD amplifies FGF/MAPK to drive the development of the otic placode, the precursor to the inner ear.

Lipid-mediated reinforcement of FGF/MAPK signaling enables robust otic placode specification The formation of cranial placodes requires groups of ectodermal cells to interpret inductive signals in a robust and organized manner, yet how signaling responses are coordinated across a developing f...

I’m thrilled to share the first preprint from the Piacentino Lab @hopkinsmedicine.bsky.social! We show that developing inner ear requires a secreted lipid chaperone, APOD, working in a positive feedback loop to amplify FGF/MAPK signaling. 👂 #DevBio Check it out! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

We're #hiring! Our group in the Cell Bio Dept at Hopkins is looking for a Research Technologist to join us and study #neuralcrest #cellmigration during #devbiol! Looking to build up your lab experience? Check it out! @socdevbio.bsky.social @ascbiology.bsky.social
jobs.jhu.edu/job/Baltimor...

Looking forward to it!

Uh oh what did I do? But yes please, we should make this happen - there or before?

I'm so excited for #ICDB2025, it's looking like such a great meeting and I'm honored to share our work!

Harvard University Harvard University is devoted to excellence in teaching, learning, and research, and to developing leaders who make a difference globally.

Totally BOSS move: Harvard completely redid its home page to push back on the threats to research. 12/10 no notes www.harvard.edu

Thank you, Rohan!

Thank you, Jeff!

Thanks, Julie!!

Thank you, John!

Thank you!!

Thanks, Megan!

Glad to hear folks are safe, but I’m so sorry for your friends and all those who have lost so much.

Thanks! And so great hanging out with you at ASCB, I hope you all had a great holiday!

Thank you!!!!

Thank you!

Thank you!! And congratulations to you and your recent defense, I’ve enjoyed following your work!

Thanks Louis, and same! I always enjoy running into you!

Thank you! I hope you’re all staying safe over there, my heart is breaking following the news of the fires.

Thanks, and big congrats on the Hanna Gray Fellowship!

Thanks Chrystal!!

Thank you!!

I'm honored to receive the H.W. Mossman Award in Developmental Biology! Thank you @anatomyorg.bsky.social for recognizing our work toward understand how membrane lipids shape embryonic development, and I'm so excited to share our future discoveries!

Anyone at #cellbio24 want to learn how an apolipoprotein organizes cell migration and sensory tissue specification in the embryo? Come check out my lab’s poster this morning 11:30am at board B391, or grab me any other time and I’d love to share! #neuralcrest #chicken @ascbiology.bsky.social

Approaching 24 hours at #cellbio24 and already buzzing with new ideas!

We’re interested in collective cell migration over here too! 👋🏻

Welcome all (new) followers! Besides our work on probes & biosensors I'd like to share what I know about #Rstats and #DataViz. So I composed a book on data visualization with R & ggplot2 (it's work in progress).
Target audience = wet lab scientists.
Link: joachimgoedhart.github.io/DataViz-prot...