Nick Desnoyer
@nickdesnoyer.bsky.social
Postdoc and level 5 Plant Programmer 🧬
Engineering new types of flowers for art and education 🌹
www.nickdesnoyer.com
Engineering new types of flowers for art and education 🌹
www.nickdesnoyer.com
Pinned
Nick Desnoyer
@nickdesnoyer.bsky.social
· Dec 12
In one year, I genetically engineered the boring Arabidopsis into a beautiful ornamental flower 🧬🌹
Here is how and why I gave this model organism a visual upgrade 🧵(1/7)
Here is how and why I gave this model organism a visual upgrade 🧵(1/7)
Experimental Design
December 17, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Experimental Design
Weekend well spent learning Blender and Molecular Nodes by the great @bradyajohnston.bsky.social
My first animation: "Interpretation of NRC2 resistosome assembly on the plasma membrane"
My first animation: "Interpretation of NRC2 resistosome assembly on the plasma membrane"
December 16, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Weekend well spent learning Blender and Molecular Nodes by the great @bradyajohnston.bsky.social
My first animation: "Interpretation of NRC2 resistosome assembly on the plasma membrane"
My first animation: "Interpretation of NRC2 resistosome assembly on the plasma membrane"
Pleased to share this thoughtful essay by Jess on my flower design project🌹🧬
As a small thank-you for spreading the work, I'm randomly giving away 5 of these new morphogenesis hoodies to whoever reposts this!
As a small thank-you for spreading the work, I'm randomly giving away 5 of these new morphogenesis hoodies to whoever reposts this!
December 15, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Pleased to share this thoughtful essay by Jess on my flower design project🌹🧬
As a small thank-you for spreading the work, I'm randomly giving away 5 of these new morphogenesis hoodies to whoever reposts this!
As a small thank-you for spreading the work, I'm randomly giving away 5 of these new morphogenesis hoodies to whoever reposts this!
Giving away the next piece of the 1000 flower collection on Monday!
Here’s a sneak peek:
Here’s a sneak peek:
December 12, 2025 at 11:27 AM
Giving away the next piece of the 1000 flower collection on Monday!
Here’s a sneak peek:
Here’s a sneak peek:
Life evolves slowly through tiny mutations, but sometimes a single mutation creates something that feels like a glitch in the matrix.
Here are four of nature’s most beautiful accidents 🧵
Here are four of nature’s most beautiful accidents 🧵
December 11, 2025 at 10:27 AM
Life evolves slowly through tiny mutations, but sometimes a single mutation creates something that feels like a glitch in the matrix.
Here are four of nature’s most beautiful accidents 🧵
Here are four of nature’s most beautiful accidents 🧵
Did someone say fruit design? 🍌🧬
Stripey Arabidopsis siliques with RUBY sectors:
Stripey Arabidopsis siliques with RUBY sectors:
December 9, 2025 at 9:35 AM
Did someone say fruit design? 🍌🧬
Stripey Arabidopsis siliques with RUBY sectors:
Stripey Arabidopsis siliques with RUBY sectors:
Reposted by Nick Desnoyer
Fun fact, a lot of wonderful scientific illustrations you see in the 19th century natural science publications, were done by women, usually spouses of the researchers as uncredited free labour. The famous finches, came from John Gould, his wife, Elizabeth, illustrated his ornithology books.
This is not an attack on Biorender, which serves a useful function.
It’s exposing a troubling phenomenon that is unconsciously sucking the artistry out of science and reinforcing a silent conformity in its presentation and perception.
It’s exposing a troubling phenomenon that is unconsciously sucking the artistry out of science and reinforcing a silent conformity in its presentation and perception.
December 1, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Fun fact, a lot of wonderful scientific illustrations you see in the 19th century natural science publications, were done by women, usually spouses of the researchers as uncredited free labour. The famous finches, came from John Gould, his wife, Elizabeth, illustrated his ornithology books.
The hidden danger of Biorender
(& the death of scientific illustration)
A short thread 🧵
(& the death of scientific illustration)
A short thread 🧵
December 1, 2025 at 12:52 PM
The hidden danger of Biorender
(& the death of scientific illustration)
A short thread 🧵
(& the death of scientific illustration)
A short thread 🧵
My academic phase transitions.
Emo botanist phase was a mood 😂
Emo botanist phase was a mood 😂
November 25, 2025 at 10:51 AM
My academic phase transitions.
Emo botanist phase was a mood 😂
Emo botanist phase was a mood 😂
With the 50-year rise of Arabidopsis as the most studied plant, is it time for its downfall?
Let’s investigate it’s history and outlook 🧵
Let’s investigate it’s history and outlook 🧵
November 24, 2025 at 10:36 AM
With the 50-year rise of Arabidopsis as the most studied plant, is it time for its downfall?
Let’s investigate it’s history and outlook 🧵
Let’s investigate it’s history and outlook 🧵
After 10 Fridays, 10 flowers, and 100+ drawings, the Florédex is complete! ✨
Come take a tour of the design and science behind 10 iconic flowers 🌺🧵
Come take a tour of the design and science behind 10 iconic flowers 🌺🧵
November 21, 2025 at 9:59 AM
After 10 Fridays, 10 flowers, and 100+ drawings, the Florédex is complete! ✨
Come take a tour of the design and science behind 10 iconic flowers 🌺🧵
Come take a tour of the design and science behind 10 iconic flowers 🌺🧵
"Technology always becomes obsolete, but a good aesthetic is, by definition, timeless" -Sheehan Quirke
Preview of my flower design toolkit and its visual language.
Preview of my flower design toolkit and its visual language.
November 17, 2025 at 10:09 AM
"Technology always becomes obsolete, but a good aesthetic is, by definition, timeless" -Sheehan Quirke
Preview of my flower design toolkit and its visual language.
Preview of my flower design toolkit and its visual language.
By radiating plants, one begins to unlock new floral forms, enabling our understanding of the underlying patterns written in their DNA and developmental programs.
Familiar forms re-emerge, and evolutionary routes towards recognisable systems reveal themselves 👇
Familiar forms re-emerge, and evolutionary routes towards recognisable systems reveal themselves 👇
Freaky Flowers Volume 3!🌸🧬
Did you know that just a few mutations can transform the Arabidopsis flower into all kinds of forms? 🤯
Here’s a tour of 6 mutants that orchestrate floral development and architecture 🧵
Did you know that just a few mutations can transform the Arabidopsis flower into all kinds of forms? 🤯
Here’s a tour of 6 mutants that orchestrate floral development and architecture 🧵
November 16, 2025 at 11:58 AM
By radiating plants, one begins to unlock new floral forms, enabling our understanding of the underlying patterns written in their DNA and developmental programs.
Familiar forms re-emerge, and evolutionary routes towards recognisable systems reveal themselves 👇
Familiar forms re-emerge, and evolutionary routes towards recognisable systems reveal themselves 👇
Friday Flower 010: Rosa hybrida ✨
Roses come in a range of colors, often blending into beautiful gradients due to their anthocyanins.
In 2004, Florigene created the world’s first “blue rose,” using delphinidin biosynthesis to achieve a hue long thought impossible.
Roses come in a range of colors, often blending into beautiful gradients due to their anthocyanins.
In 2004, Florigene created the world’s first “blue rose,” using delphinidin biosynthesis to achieve a hue long thought impossible.
November 14, 2025 at 10:54 AM
Friday Flower 010: Rosa hybrida ✨
Roses come in a range of colors, often blending into beautiful gradients due to their anthocyanins.
In 2004, Florigene created the world’s first “blue rose,” using delphinidin biosynthesis to achieve a hue long thought impossible.
Roses come in a range of colors, often blending into beautiful gradients due to their anthocyanins.
In 2004, Florigene created the world’s first “blue rose,” using delphinidin biosynthesis to achieve a hue long thought impossible.
Daily dose of micro-rose propaganda ✨
November 12, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Daily dose of micro-rose propaganda ✨
Biology requires some level of faith that what you’re doing is going to work.
I keep these paper prototypes of the flowers I am making on my bench as a patient reminder. It will work.
I keep these paper prototypes of the flowers I am making on my bench as a patient reminder. It will work.
November 8, 2025 at 12:28 PM
Biology requires some level of faith that what you’re doing is going to work.
I keep these paper prototypes of the flowers I am making on my bench as a patient reminder. It will work.
I keep these paper prototypes of the flowers I am making on my bench as a patient reminder. It will work.
Friday Flower 009: Nigella arvensis ✨
Nigella’s flowers form a morphologically complex display with ornate bracts and blue sepals.
The true petals have diverse patterning with intricate, nectar-bearing structures that look alien.
Nigella’s flowers form a morphologically complex display with ornate bracts and blue sepals.
The true petals have diverse patterning with intricate, nectar-bearing structures that look alien.
November 7, 2025 at 9:17 AM
Friday Flower 009: Nigella arvensis ✨
Nigella’s flowers form a morphologically complex display with ornate bracts and blue sepals.
The true petals have diverse patterning with intricate, nectar-bearing structures that look alien.
Nigella’s flowers form a morphologically complex display with ornate bracts and blue sepals.
The true petals have diverse patterning with intricate, nectar-bearing structures that look alien.
Stepped into the “room of rare books” @JohnInnesCentre today and was blown away…
Les roses by Redouté, Origin of species by Darwin, and a 1511 book on mythical beasts!
Les roses by Redouté, Origin of species by Darwin, and a 1511 book on mythical beasts!
November 6, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Stepped into the “room of rare books” @JohnInnesCentre today and was blown away…
Les roses by Redouté, Origin of species by Darwin, and a 1511 book on mythical beasts!
Les roses by Redouté, Origin of species by Darwin, and a 1511 book on mythical beasts!
Last week I toured Neoplants, a biotech company engineering houseplants! 🧬🌱
Hidden just off the streets of Paris, their lab is the most beautiful biotech space I’ve ever seen.
Hidden just off the streets of Paris, their lab is the most beautiful biotech space I’ve ever seen.
November 3, 2025 at 12:28 PM
Last week I toured Neoplants, a biotech company engineering houseplants! 🧬🌱
Hidden just off the streets of Paris, their lab is the most beautiful biotech space I’ve ever seen.
Hidden just off the streets of Paris, their lab is the most beautiful biotech space I’ve ever seen.
Reposted by Nick Desnoyer
Reposted by Nick Desnoyer
🎃 Why are (Halloween) pumpkins orange – and not pink or blue? This secret is explored by @bpucker.bsky.social, @nancy-choudhary.bsky.social and Marie Hagedorn. Their research examines how carotenoids took over, making Jack O’Lanterns forever orange: www.uni-bonn.de/en/news/colo.... Happy Halloween!
October 31, 2025 at 1:07 PM
🎃 Why are (Halloween) pumpkins orange – and not pink or blue? This secret is explored by @bpucker.bsky.social, @nancy-choudhary.bsky.social and Marie Hagedorn. Their research examines how carotenoids took over, making Jack O’Lanterns forever orange: www.uni-bonn.de/en/news/colo.... Happy Halloween!
@igemhq.bsky.social and SB8 was unforgettable.
Would love to supervise a team on flower design for the new art/design village 🎨🌹🧬
Would love to supervise a team on flower design for the new art/design village 🎨🌹🧬
October 31, 2025 at 5:16 PM
@igemhq.bsky.social and SB8 was unforgettable.
Would love to supervise a team on flower design for the new art/design village 🎨🌹🧬
Would love to supervise a team on flower design for the new art/design village 🎨🌹🧬
Don’t miss my presentation @iGEM tomorrow at 14:00 main stage!
I will be throwing out bio-designer shirts to the back row 🧬🤘
I will be throwing out bio-designer shirts to the back row 🧬🤘
October 29, 2025 at 9:16 AM
Don’t miss my presentation @iGEM tomorrow at 14:00 main stage!
I will be throwing out bio-designer shirts to the back row 🧬🤘
I will be throwing out bio-designer shirts to the back row 🧬🤘
Thank you Rainer 🙏
I think this is one of the most powerful displays of what genetic engineering can do. Flower size and organ identity changed. And flower colour changes in a temporal order.
It shows we really understand flower development to a remarkable extent.
Awesome @nickdesnoyer.bsky.social!
It shows we really understand flower development to a remarkable extent.
Awesome @nickdesnoyer.bsky.social!
Genetically engineered color-changing Arabidopsis 🧬📷- attempt #3
I think I finally nailed it with this one.
I think I finally nailed it with this one.
October 27, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Thank you Rainer 🙏