Michael Sars Centre
@msarscentre.bsky.social
The Michael Sars Centre, University of Bergen, is an international community of scientists studying the molecular and cellular biology of marine organisms.
https://linktr.ee/michaelsarscentre
https://linktr.ee/michaelsarscentre
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We are thrilled to invite you to the Michael Sars Symposium 2026 - Living systems in a variable ocean, together with our co-organizers at @cbubergen.bsky.social! Mark June 4, 2026 in your calendars, and watch out for our speaker lineup reveal in the new year 🙌
Reposted by Michael Sars Centre
First snacks of 2026 served! 🪼🍽️
Feeding duty in our ctenophore facility yesterday & today at @msarscentre.bsky.social — and they loved it 😋 #ctenophores
Fingers crossed for a wonderfully gelatinous 2026 ✨
Feeding duty in our ctenophore facility yesterday & today at @msarscentre.bsky.social — and they loved it 😋 #ctenophores
Fingers crossed for a wonderfully gelatinous 2026 ✨
January 2, 2026 at 1:59 PM
First snacks of 2026 served! 🪼🍽️
Feeding duty in our ctenophore facility yesterday & today at @msarscentre.bsky.social — and they loved it 😋 #ctenophores
Fingers crossed for a wonderfully gelatinous 2026 ✨
Feeding duty in our ctenophore facility yesterday & today at @msarscentre.bsky.social — and they loved it 😋 #ctenophores
Fingers crossed for a wonderfully gelatinous 2026 ✨
Reposted by Michael Sars Centre
The Michael Sars Symposium is a landmark of our academic life. This year I am co-organizing it with Nathalie Reuter from the Computational Biology Unit and the chemistry department to showcase our shared interest in “living systems in a variable ocean”.
We are thrilled to invite you to the Michael Sars Symposium 2026 - Living systems in a variable ocean, together with our co-organizers at @cbubergen.bsky.social! Mark June 4, 2026 in your calendars, and watch out for our speaker lineup reveal in the new year 🙌
December 26, 2025 at 9:00 AM
The Michael Sars Symposium is a landmark of our academic life. This year I am co-organizing it with Nathalie Reuter from the Computational Biology Unit and the chemistry department to showcase our shared interest in “living systems in a variable ocean”.
Looking back on 2025, we are incredibly grateful for all the good moments spent with colleagues, the exciting new discoveries, discussions and seminars, and for the trust of our collaborators and partners! We wish you a wonderful holiday season and look forward to meeting again in 2026 ✨🎄
December 22, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Looking back on 2025, we are incredibly grateful for all the good moments spent with colleagues, the exciting new discoveries, discussions and seminars, and for the trust of our collaborators and partners! We wish you a wonderful holiday season and look forward to meeting again in 2026 ✨🎄
Reposted by Michael Sars Centre
Happy winter solstice from #SunnyBergen!
December 21, 2025 at 10:48 PM
Happy winter solstice from #SunnyBergen!
We are thrilled to invite you to the Michael Sars Symposium 2026 - Living systems in a variable ocean, together with our co-organizers at @cbubergen.bsky.social! Mark June 4, 2026 in your calendars, and watch out for our speaker lineup reveal in the new year 🙌
December 19, 2025 at 2:54 PM
We are thrilled to invite you to the Michael Sars Symposium 2026 - Living systems in a variable ocean, together with our co-organizers at @cbubergen.bsky.social! Mark June 4, 2026 in your calendars, and watch out for our speaker lineup reveal in the new year 🙌
Some of our favorite model organisms featured on the cover of @natrevneuro.nature.com 🤩 Congratulations @jeffcolgren.bsky.social & @pawelburkhardt.bsky.social for this beautiful highlight 👏
Thrilled to see our review article "The evolutionary origins of synaptic proteins" highlighted on the cover of Nature Reviews Neuroscience 🤩.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@msarscentre.bsky.social 🧠✨🧬🌊🪼🧽
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@msarscentre.bsky.social 🧠✨🧬🌊🪼🧽
December 18, 2025 at 11:04 AM
Some of our favorite model organisms featured on the cover of @natrevneuro.nature.com 🤩 Congratulations @jeffcolgren.bsky.social & @pawelburkhardt.bsky.social for this beautiful highlight 👏
Reposted by Michael Sars Centre
💡How does nutrition regulate cell cycle in stem cells? Check out our new paper from @prhsteinmetz.bsky.social lab & @msarscentre.bsky.social, out now in
@plosbiology.org (plos.io/48J2o6P)
#SeaAnemone #Nematostella #StemCell #CellCycle #Quiescence #TORsignalling 1/12
@plosbiology.org (plos.io/48J2o6P)
#SeaAnemone #Nematostella #StemCell #CellCycle #Quiescence #TORsignalling 1/12
Prolonged starvation deepens quiescence in Vasa2/Piwi1-expressing cells of a sea anemone
Animals with lifelong growth modulate cell proliferation in response to nutrient availability, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. This study shows that starvation induces a revers...
plos.io
December 16, 2025 at 4:48 PM
💡How does nutrition regulate cell cycle in stem cells? Check out our new paper from @prhsteinmetz.bsky.social lab & @msarscentre.bsky.social, out now in
@plosbiology.org (plos.io/48J2o6P)
#SeaAnemone #Nematostella #StemCell #CellCycle #Quiescence #TORsignalling 1/12
@plosbiology.org (plos.io/48J2o6P)
#SeaAnemone #Nematostella #StemCell #CellCycle #Quiescence #TORsignalling 1/12
📢 New preprint from the @prhsteinmetz.bsky.social lab! Inés Fournon Berodia @inesfournon.bsky.social looked at cell death and epithelial extrusion in Nematostella. An exciting study with beautiful microscopy ✨ Check it out ⤵️
Thrilled to share the preprint from my PhD! 🥳 Where I characterised epithelial cell extrusion in a sea anemone
🔗 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Big thanks to my supervisor @prhsteinmetz.bsky.social and coauthors @noahbruderer.bsky.social @lionlchristiaen.bsky.social at🇳🇴 @msarscentre.bsky.social ⬇️🧵
🔗 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Big thanks to my supervisor @prhsteinmetz.bsky.social and coauthors @noahbruderer.bsky.social @lionlchristiaen.bsky.social at🇳🇴 @msarscentre.bsky.social ⬇️🧵
December 16, 2025 at 3:44 PM
📢 New preprint from the @prhsteinmetz.bsky.social lab! Inés Fournon Berodia @inesfournon.bsky.social looked at cell death and epithelial extrusion in Nematostella. An exciting study with beautiful microscopy ✨ Check it out ⤵️
Congratulations to @eudaldpascual.bsky.social and @ktgarschall.bsky.social from the @prhsteinmetz.bsky.social lab on a new paper out in @plosbiology.org 🤩👏 The work, supported by @embo.org, looked at cell behavior during starvation in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis 🧵🧪
Starved sea anemones put their cells in ‘deep sleep’ mode
New work from the Steinmetz group at the Michael Sars Centre unveils the secrets behind the starlet sea anemone's extraordinary ability to adjust its body size according to food availability.
www.uib.no
December 16, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Congratulations to @eudaldpascual.bsky.social and @ktgarschall.bsky.social from the @prhsteinmetz.bsky.social lab on a new paper out in @plosbiology.org 🤩👏 The work, supported by @embo.org, looked at cell behavior during starvation in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis 🧵🧪
What an amazing conclusion to this year's guest seminar series! Mari H. Eilertsen @mariheilertsen.bsky.social from @cdeepsea.bsky.social delighted us with a talk on deep-sea chemosynthetic ecosystems, and continued the discussion over a festive coffee break 🌊✨ Thank you for your visit!
December 12, 2025 at 2:53 PM
What an amazing conclusion to this year's guest seminar series! Mari H. Eilertsen @mariheilertsen.bsky.social from @cdeepsea.bsky.social delighted us with a talk on deep-sea chemosynthetic ecosystems, and continued the discussion over a festive coffee break 🌊✨ Thank you for your visit!
Reposted by Michael Sars Centre
The curious case of the comb jelly, where we described a comb jelly with the ability to reverse its development to an earlier stage of life, is now also available at #spotify 🤩 #ctenophores 🪼⏪
open.spotify.com/episode/6c2O...
with @joanjsoto.bsky.social @msarscentre.bsky.social
open.spotify.com/episode/6c2O...
with @joanjsoto.bsky.social @msarscentre.bsky.social
December 9, 2025 at 2:02 PM
The curious case of the comb jelly, where we described a comb jelly with the ability to reverse its development to an earlier stage of life, is now also available at #spotify 🤩 #ctenophores 🪼⏪
open.spotify.com/episode/6c2O...
with @joanjsoto.bsky.social @msarscentre.bsky.social
open.spotify.com/episode/6c2O...
with @joanjsoto.bsky.social @msarscentre.bsky.social
More excellent tunicate news this morning, with a new preprint from the @mchatzigeorgiou.bsky.social lab 🤩 This work, led by @olegtolstenkov.bsky.social, describes the fascinating diversity of behaviors displayed by the larvacean Oikopleura throughout its life cycle ⤵️🧪
New preprint from our lab: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... @olegtolstenkov.bsky.social, Sissel and Rodolfo in collaboration with @appygenetics.bsky.social @msarscentre.bsky.social built a behavioral atlas of the planktonic tunicate Oikopleura dioica across its life cycle.
December 9, 2025 at 9:12 AM
More excellent tunicate news this morning, with a new preprint from the @mchatzigeorgiou.bsky.social lab 🤩 This work, led by @olegtolstenkov.bsky.social, describes the fascinating diversity of behaviors displayed by the larvacean Oikopleura throughout its life cycle ⤵️🧪
This great piece by @lionlchristiaen.bsky.social highlights the sea squirt Ciona as a versatile and tractable model for marine sciences, from cells to ecosystems 👏🧪 Read it in @natmethods.nature.com ⤵️ www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Very happy to see this piece on the Tunicate Ciona published. Grateful to @alexandrejan.bsky.social and @chiaracastelletti.bsky.social for the Illustrations, and to @natmethods.nature.com for the opportunity to showcase our ever emerging model organism www.nature.com/articles/s41...
The tunicate Ciona - Nature Methods
The ascidian tunicate Ciona, one of the closest relatives of the vertebrates, inhabits shallow temperate waters in the worldwide ocean. A unique combination of simple stereotyped embryogenesis, regula...
www.nature.com
December 9, 2025 at 7:58 AM
This great piece by @lionlchristiaen.bsky.social highlights the sea squirt Ciona as a versatile and tractable model for marine sciences, from cells to ecosystems 👏🧪 Read it in @natmethods.nature.com ⤵️ www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Michael Sars Centre
Finished with work, on my way home. Bergen is so beautiful — perfect evening for a boat ride. 💙⛴️🌄
December 4, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Finished with work, on my way home. Bergen is so beautiful — perfect evening for a boat ride. 💙⛴️🌄
Congratulations to @inesfournon.bsky.social and @ruthstyfhals.bsky.social on their amazing talks at the very first BIO-Early Career Community Conference at @unibergen.bsky.social ✨ We are proud to support this fantastic initiative that brought our local community of young scientists together 👏
December 4, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Congratulations to @inesfournon.bsky.social and @ruthstyfhals.bsky.social on their amazing talks at the very first BIO-Early Career Community Conference at @unibergen.bsky.social ✨ We are proud to support this fantastic initiative that brought our local community of young scientists together 👏
As Movember comes to an end, the Sars team sported real (and some suspiciously fake) mustaches to raise awareness for men’s health. Huge thanks to Brandon for leading this fundraising initiative at the Centre! 🥸
November 28, 2025 at 10:41 AM
As Movember comes to an end, the Sars team sported real (and some suspiciously fake) mustaches to raise awareness for men’s health. Huge thanks to Brandon for leading this fundraising initiative at the Centre! 🥸
We are welcoming a new critter at the Centre - the Norwegian red sea cucumber! These colorful echinoderms will be featured in @emclaereboudt.bsky.social's #MSCActions project on chemosensation 🧪 Of course, they had a moment in the spotlight with our in-house photographer @alexandrejan.bsky.social ✨
It’s such a joy working with these beautiful animals 😍😍
Huge thanks to @alexandrejan.bsky.social for capturing my gorgeous little creatures!
Can’t wait to share more cuke science and photos soon — stay tuned!
@msarscentre.bsky.social
Huge thanks to @alexandrejan.bsky.social for capturing my gorgeous little creatures!
Can’t wait to share more cuke science and photos soon — stay tuned!
@msarscentre.bsky.social
November 18, 2025 at 1:01 PM
We are welcoming a new critter at the Centre - the Norwegian red sea cucumber! These colorful echinoderms will be featured in @emclaereboudt.bsky.social's #MSCActions project on chemosensation 🧪 Of course, they had a moment in the spotlight with our in-house photographer @alexandrejan.bsky.social ✨
Very insightful talk by Dean Gunn Mangerud, who shared the latest updates and upcoming projects at our faculty @scienceandtechuib.bsky.social 👏 We are grateful for this opportunity to have an open dialogue, and look forward to new exciting challenges @unibergen.bsky.social!
November 14, 2025 at 10:42 AM
Very insightful talk by Dean Gunn Mangerud, who shared the latest updates and upcoming projects at our faculty @scienceandtechuib.bsky.social 👏 We are grateful for this opportunity to have an open dialogue, and look forward to new exciting challenges @unibergen.bsky.social!
In 2025, we celebrate #200years of knowledge at the University of Bergen! An occasion to honor the scientists who came before us and whose legacy we carry on today 🧪🔬 “This story goes from Michael Sars, the vicar and marine zoologist, to Michael Sars, the Centre.” - Prof. Anders Goksøyr ⤵️ 1/2
200 years of neurobiology at the University of Bergen
As the University Museum celebrates its 200 years jubilee, researchers reflected on breakthroughs in biological sciences made at UiB and how they relate to today’s research.
tinyurl.com
November 13, 2025 at 10:06 AM
In 2025, we celebrate #200years of knowledge at the University of Bergen! An occasion to honor the scientists who came before us and whose legacy we carry on today 🧪🔬 “This story goes from Michael Sars, the vicar and marine zoologist, to Michael Sars, the Centre.” - Prof. Anders Goksøyr ⤵️ 1/2
Reposted by Michael Sars Centre
First neurons didn’t appear overnight. We trace their roots to ancient secretory cells - showing how lifestyle & behavior shaped the evolution of first synapses.🧠🌊 #Evolution #Neuroscience
Our latest in @natrevneuro.nature.com
Link: rdcu.be/eMX3E
@jeffcolgren.bsky.social @msarscentre.bsky.social
Our latest in @natrevneuro.nature.com
Link: rdcu.be/eMX3E
@jeffcolgren.bsky.social @msarscentre.bsky.social
The evolutionary origins of synaptic proteins and their changing roles in different organisms across evolution
Nature Reviews Neuroscience - Recent studies have shed further light on the evolutionary origins of chemical synapses, In this Review, Colgren and Burkhardt explore how ancient proteins were...
rdcu.be
October 27, 2025 at 6:48 PM
First neurons didn’t appear overnight. We trace their roots to ancient secretory cells - showing how lifestyle & behavior shaped the evolution of first synapses.🧠🌊 #Evolution #Neuroscience
Our latest in @natrevneuro.nature.com
Link: rdcu.be/eMX3E
@jeffcolgren.bsky.social @msarscentre.bsky.social
Our latest in @natrevneuro.nature.com
Link: rdcu.be/eMX3E
@jeffcolgren.bsky.social @msarscentre.bsky.social
Reposted by Michael Sars Centre
Awesome to welcome and host @enricodanielloszn.bsky.social for a seminar and (short) visit at @msarscentre.bsky.social in #SunnyBergen, which - sometimes - is only a state of mind. 😉☀️🇳🇴
November 5, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Awesome to welcome and host @enricodanielloszn.bsky.social for a seminar and (short) visit at @msarscentre.bsky.social in #SunnyBergen, which - sometimes - is only a state of mind. 😉☀️🇳🇴
Reposted by Michael Sars Centre
Friday seminar treat with a talk by Prof. De Tomaso on the reproductive and regenerative prowesses of colonial ascidians at @msarscentre.bsky.social in #SunnyBergen
November 7, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Friday seminar treat with a talk by Prof. De Tomaso on the reproductive and regenerative prowesses of colonial ascidians at @msarscentre.bsky.social in #SunnyBergen
Reposted by Michael Sars Centre
Could not be more happy/proud/relieved to finally see this longstanding study published. Bluetorial to follow. @msarscentre.bsky.social
Cell cycle-driven transcriptome maturation confers multilineage competence to cardiopharyngeal progenitors | The EMBO Journal www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
Cell cycle-driven transcriptome maturation confers multilineage competence to cardiopharyngeal progenitors | The EMBO Journal www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
Cell cycle-driven transcriptome maturation confers multilineage competence to cardiopharyngeal progenitors | The EMBO Journal
imageimageDuring development, multipotent cardiopharyngeal progenitors express both cardiac
and pharyngeal muscle transcriptional programs. This study in the tunicate Ciona shows that cell cycle-regul...
www.embopress.org
November 4, 2025 at 6:05 AM
Could not be more happy/proud/relieved to finally see this longstanding study published. Bluetorial to follow. @msarscentre.bsky.social
Cell cycle-driven transcriptome maturation confers multilineage competence to cardiopharyngeal progenitors | The EMBO Journal www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
Cell cycle-driven transcriptome maturation confers multilineage competence to cardiopharyngeal progenitors | The EMBO Journal www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Michael Sars Centre
Tiny sea cucumbers, big mysteries! 🪱
Out sampling for my MSCA project SensHolo at the @msarscentre.bsky.social, at the University of Bergen, 🇳🇴— exploring how these mini echinoderms sense their world.
Plus a few bonus echinoderms! 🌊✨
Out sampling for my MSCA project SensHolo at the @msarscentre.bsky.social, at the University of Bergen, 🇳🇴— exploring how these mini echinoderms sense their world.
Plus a few bonus echinoderms! 🌊✨
October 20, 2025 at 10:32 AM
Tiny sea cucumbers, big mysteries! 🪱
Out sampling for my MSCA project SensHolo at the @msarscentre.bsky.social, at the University of Bergen, 🇳🇴— exploring how these mini echinoderms sense their world.
Plus a few bonus echinoderms! 🌊✨
Out sampling for my MSCA project SensHolo at the @msarscentre.bsky.social, at the University of Bergen, 🇳🇴— exploring how these mini echinoderms sense their world.
Plus a few bonus echinoderms! 🌊✨
We had a full room today for a talk by Nicolas Minc @minclab.bsky.social from @ijmonod.bsky.social 👏 He presented his team's latest work on the mechanics of cell division, including how they use magnetic tweezers to rotate mitotic spindles 💥 Thank you for joining us!
October 17, 2025 at 2:28 PM
We had a full room today for a talk by Nicolas Minc @minclab.bsky.social from @ijmonod.bsky.social 👏 He presented his team's latest work on the mechanics of cell division, including how they use magnetic tweezers to rotate mitotic spindles 💥 Thank you for joining us!