Xantha Karp
@xanthakarp.bsky.social
C. elegans geneticist, how diapause affects development, microRNA, equity in STEM, professor at Central Michigan University, she/her/hers.
https://karplab.org
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6602-5583
https://karplab.org
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6602-5583
Reposted by Xantha Karp
We noticed that a plate of C. elegans worms, under starvation conditions, forms stable living spatial structures, which we dub "worm webs". These webs seem to be scaffolded by an excreted substance from living or dead worms, which we dub "wormstuff". www.focolab.org/post/worm-we...
Worm Webs and Wormstuff
Sometimes a fresh pair of eyes in a lab notices a phenomenon that has been under the noses of researchers for a long time but ignored as a distraction. After more careful observations, replications, a...
www.focolab.org
December 22, 2025 at 6:33 PM
We noticed that a plate of C. elegans worms, under starvation conditions, forms stable living spatial structures, which we dub "worm webs". These webs seem to be scaffolded by an excreted substance from living or dead worms, which we dub "wormstuff". www.focolab.org/post/worm-we...
Reposted by Xantha Karp
Happy to announce the publication of our foray into studying what happens to the transcriptomes of nuclei when cells fuse to form a syncytium. More to follow in the coming few years.
One really wonderful thing about the Company of Biologists is that's it's free to publish there for my university!
One really wonderful thing about the Company of Biologists is that's it's free to publish there for my university!
Epidermal cell fusion promotes the transition from an embryonic to a larval transcriptome in C. elegans
Highlighted Article:eff-1–mediated cell fusion drives transcriptomic progression from an embryonic to larval state in the C. elegans epidermis, without which developmental progression is delayed.
journals.biologists.com
December 22, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Happy to announce the publication of our foray into studying what happens to the transcriptomes of nuclei when cells fuse to form a syncytium. More to follow in the coming few years.
One really wonderful thing about the Company of Biologists is that's it's free to publish there for my university!
One really wonderful thing about the Company of Biologists is that's it's free to publish there for my university!
Reposted by Xantha Karp
We have had a lot of requests for the protocol for single-nucleus RNA-seq of adult C. elegans neurons that our lab developed - I hope that you find this helpful! 🧪 #Celegans www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Protocol for single-nucleus RNA sequencing of adult C. elegans neurons
Single-nucleus sequencing, specifically, remains the gold standard for characterizing difficult-to-dissociate cell types, such as neurons in complex b…
www.sciencedirect.com
December 19, 2025 at 4:28 PM
We have had a lot of requests for the protocol for single-nucleus RNA-seq of adult C. elegans neurons that our lab developed - I hope that you find this helpful! 🧪 #Celegans www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Xantha Karp
Now in print: tour de force mitonuclear epistasis study in C. elegans.
Start to finish, vision and execution, 100% Tuc Nguyen @tuchmnguyen.bsky.social
Start to finish, vision and execution, 100% Tuc Nguyen @tuchmnguyen.bsky.social
Nguyen et al. used C. elegans as a model to study mitonuclear epistasis, leveraging genetic and phenotypic data to show that mitonuclear epistasis contributed significantly to phenotypic variance across all tested conditions.
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaf300
#evobio #molbio
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaf300
#evobio #molbio
Abundant Recurrent Mitochondrial Mutations and Widespread Mitonuclear Epistasis in Caenorhabditis elegans
Abstract. Coordinated genetic and physical interactions between mitochondrial and nuclear gene products regulate ATP production in the mitochondria. Linkin
doi.org
December 14, 2025 at 12:53 AM
Now in print: tour de force mitonuclear epistasis study in C. elegans.
Start to finish, vision and execution, 100% Tuc Nguyen @tuchmnguyen.bsky.social
Start to finish, vision and execution, 100% Tuc Nguyen @tuchmnguyen.bsky.social
Reposted by Xantha Karp
A new community-driven lab handbook for reducing conflict and creating more positive and equitable work environments gets strong support from a survey of 200 researchers.
buff.ly/K7CGFLV
buff.ly/K7CGFLV
December 9, 2025 at 11:02 AM
A new community-driven lab handbook for reducing conflict and creating more positive and equitable work environments gets strong support from a survey of 200 researchers.
buff.ly/K7CGFLV
buff.ly/K7CGFLV
Reposted by Xantha Karp
I’ll be one of the panelists! I hope to see you there!
@ascbiology.bsky.social 's Women in Cell Biology (WICB) has yet another fantastic event today at 4pm, room 126A. A networking panel on "Thriving in Uncertain Times: Navigating Career and Funding Challenges". #cellbio2025.
December 9, 2025 at 1:10 PM
I’ll be one of the panelists! I hope to see you there!
Reposted by Xantha Karp
Our Lab @ NCBS, Bangalore is hiring PhD students!
If you’re excited about cell & developmental biology, tissue mechanics, and imaging — come join us! We use C. elegans to uncover how forces shape organs 🧫🔬
CSIR/DBT/ICMR fellowship holders encouraged to apply!Apply 👉 lnkd.in/gr9EUHnp
If you’re excited about cell & developmental biology, tissue mechanics, and imaging — come join us! We use C. elegans to uncover how forces shape organs 🧫🔬
CSIR/DBT/ICMR fellowship holders encouraged to apply!Apply 👉 lnkd.in/gr9EUHnp
LinkedIn
This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn
lnkd.in
December 8, 2025 at 10:55 AM
Our Lab @ NCBS, Bangalore is hiring PhD students!
If you’re excited about cell & developmental biology, tissue mechanics, and imaging — come join us! We use C. elegans to uncover how forces shape organs 🧫🔬
CSIR/DBT/ICMR fellowship holders encouraged to apply!Apply 👉 lnkd.in/gr9EUHnp
If you’re excited about cell & developmental biology, tissue mechanics, and imaging — come join us! We use C. elegans to uncover how forces shape organs 🧫🔬
CSIR/DBT/ICMR fellowship holders encouraged to apply!Apply 👉 lnkd.in/gr9EUHnp
Reposted by Xantha Karp
Reposted by Xantha Karp
I taught Genetics again this year. We need to include discussion of the problematic history of our field, especially as the claims of eugenics are once again centered in our political discourse. Last year I wrote this piece, explaining my reasoning and approach 🧪 1/n
www.cell.com/trends/genet...
www.cell.com/trends/genet...
December 8, 2025 at 12:37 PM
I taught Genetics again this year. We need to include discussion of the problematic history of our field, especially as the claims of eugenics are once again centered in our political discourse. Last year I wrote this piece, explaining my reasoning and approach 🧪 1/n
www.cell.com/trends/genet...
www.cell.com/trends/genet...
Reposted by Xantha Karp
#Celegans adapts to starvation & other stressors by transiting through the quiescent #dauer stage, but how? This study shows that TOR activity is inhibited by AMPK & a novel RNA-binding helicase in the #GermLine during dauer, preserving developmental quiescence @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/48NEHvc
December 3, 2025 at 1:51 PM
#Celegans adapts to starvation & other stressors by transiting through the quiescent #dauer stage, but how? This study shows that TOR activity is inhibited by AMPK & a novel RNA-binding helicase in the #GermLine during dauer, preserving developmental quiescence @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/48NEHvc
Reposted by Xantha Karp
We built this site to allow you to probe our single-nucleus RNA-seq data for adult #Celegans neurons (wt & daf-2 herms, and wt males v herms): cestaan.princeton.edu
and a microPub about how to use it: www.micropublication.org/journals/bio...
We hope the #Celegans community finds it useful! 🧪
and a microPub about how to use it: www.micropublication.org/journals/bio...
We hope the #Celegans community finds it useful! 🧪
CeSTAAN: An atlas of C. elegans adult neurons for fast queries of single-nucleus RNA sequencing data | microPublication
www.micropublication.org
December 1, 2025 at 3:44 PM
We built this site to allow you to probe our single-nucleus RNA-seq data for adult #Celegans neurons (wt & daf-2 herms, and wt males v herms): cestaan.princeton.edu
and a microPub about how to use it: www.micropublication.org/journals/bio...
We hope the #Celegans community finds it useful! 🧪
and a microPub about how to use it: www.micropublication.org/journals/bio...
We hope the #Celegans community finds it useful! 🧪
Reposted by Xantha Karp
Something to be thankful for ~ our paper on the intersection of fatty acid metabolism and host-pathogen response in #Celegans is now published in DMM!
journals.biologists.com/dmm/article/...
journals.biologists.com/dmm/article/...
BMP-dependent mobilization of fatty acid metabolism promotes Caenorhabditis elegans survival on a bacterial pathogen
Editor's choice: Host metabolism may impact response to infection. In Caenorhabditis elegans, a conserved cell signaling pathway regulates fatty acid metabolism upon pathogen exposure, leading to impr...
journals.biologists.com
December 1, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Something to be thankful for ~ our paper on the intersection of fatty acid metabolism and host-pathogen response in #Celegans is now published in DMM!
journals.biologists.com/dmm/article/...
journals.biologists.com/dmm/article/...
Reposted by Xantha Karp
Scientists must learn to join larger pro-democracy and people's movements, coalitions. Our science training may not have prepared us for such work, but we can no longer sit in the safety of our labs and expect the world to get better
My book review @thelancet.com
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
My book review @thelancet.com
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
From doing science to saving science
Science and scientists are under assault. From denial of vaccines to climate change,
political leaders are increasingly sacrificing democracy as well as science on the
altar of populism and authoritar...
www.thelancet.com
November 28, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Scientists must learn to join larger pro-democracy and people's movements, coalitions. Our science training may not have prepared us for such work, but we can no longer sit in the safety of our labs and expect the world to get better
My book review @thelancet.com
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
My book review @thelancet.com
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
Reposted by Xantha Karp
working up a little cell/worm counter. ~$40 of adafruit parts (plus some keyboard switches, 3d printing, and minor soldering). Next steps are wifi/bt communication.
currently envision counting and ethotiming modes, but if any c. elegans friends have ideas, I’d be happy to consider them.
currently envision counting and ethotiming modes, but if any c. elegans friends have ideas, I’d be happy to consider them.
November 27, 2025 at 1:25 AM
working up a little cell/worm counter. ~$40 of adafruit parts (plus some keyboard switches, 3d printing, and minor soldering). Next steps are wifi/bt communication.
currently envision counting and ethotiming modes, but if any c. elegans friends have ideas, I’d be happy to consider them.
currently envision counting and ethotiming modes, but if any c. elegans friends have ideas, I’d be happy to consider them.
Reposted by Xantha Karp
What happens to the germline under heat stress?
New study in #G3journal shows how wild-type #Celegans increase their germline apoptosis levels from the physiological baseline in response to moderate temperature stress to maintain fertility. buff.ly/SXdoQFA
New study in #G3journal shows how wild-type #Celegans increase their germline apoptosis levels from the physiological baseline in response to moderate temperature stress to maintain fertility. buff.ly/SXdoQFA
November 27, 2025 at 2:02 PM
What happens to the germline under heat stress?
New study in #G3journal shows how wild-type #Celegans increase their germline apoptosis levels from the physiological baseline in response to moderate temperature stress to maintain fertility. buff.ly/SXdoQFA
New study in #G3journal shows how wild-type #Celegans increase their germline apoptosis levels from the physiological baseline in response to moderate temperature stress to maintain fertility. buff.ly/SXdoQFA
Reposted by Xantha Karp
Read this inspiring perspectives coauthored by the Worm Resource directors and worm Nobel Laureates! 4 Nobel Prizes and how they were enabled by major NIH-supported research resources (the Caenorhabditis Genetics Center, WormBase, and WormAtlas) www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
November 25, 2025 at 6:18 AM
Read this inspiring perspectives coauthored by the Worm Resource directors and worm Nobel Laureates! 4 Nobel Prizes and how they were enabled by major NIH-supported research resources (the Caenorhabditis Genetics Center, WormBase, and WormAtlas) www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Congratulations to Karp lab student Vusani Ntuli who won the Best Poster Award at the Central Michigan University Biology Undergraduate Research Symposium yesterday! I’m so proud of him and of the other 5 Karp lab presenters.
November 22, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Congratulations to Karp lab student Vusani Ntuli who won the Best Poster Award at the Central Michigan University Biology Undergraduate Research Symposium yesterday! I’m so proud of him and of the other 5 Karp lab presenters.
Reposted by Xantha Karp
SAVE THE DATE! Stoked to organize the 2026 Santa Cruz Developmental Biology Meeting with @rashmi-priya.bsky.social, @lowelab.bsky.social, and Shelbi Russell. Come learn about Biomedicine, Biomechanics, and the Biosphere, August 24-28, 2026. Registration dates, etc., coming soon! Please RT
November 19, 2025 at 8:23 PM
SAVE THE DATE! Stoked to organize the 2026 Santa Cruz Developmental Biology Meeting with @rashmi-priya.bsky.social, @lowelab.bsky.social, and Shelbi Russell. Come learn about Biomedicine, Biomechanics, and the Biosphere, August 24-28, 2026. Registration dates, etc., coming soon! Please RT
Reposted by Xantha Karp
Happy International Day of LGBTQIA+ People In STEM!
How are you celebrating it?
#LGBTQSTEMDay #PrideInSTEM
How are you celebrating it?
#LGBTQSTEMDay #PrideInSTEM
November 18, 2025 at 8:30 AM
Happy International Day of LGBTQIA+ People In STEM!
How are you celebrating it?
#LGBTQSTEMDay #PrideInSTEM
How are you celebrating it?
#LGBTQSTEMDay #PrideInSTEM
Reposted by Xantha Karp
New preprint!
It turns out you can integrate arrays with super high efficiency using PhiC31.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
It turns out you can integrate arrays with super high efficiency using PhiC31.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
High-efficiency targeted integration of extrachromosomal arrays in C. elegans using PhiC31 integrase
Extrachromosomal arrays are unique chromosome-like structures created from DNA injected into the C. elegans germline. Arrays are easy to create and allow for high expression of multiple transgenes. Th...
www.biorxiv.org
November 13, 2025 at 2:59 AM
New preprint!
It turns out you can integrate arrays with super high efficiency using PhiC31.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
It turns out you can integrate arrays with super high efficiency using PhiC31.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Xantha Karp
C. elegans enthusiasts- save the date for two consecutive C. elegans meetings, taking place in Bordeaux, 29 June–3 July 2026.
Abstract submission will open around January, with many opportunities for oral presentations.
Check out our website for more details: ceneuroeuro2026.sciencesconf.org.
Abstract submission will open around January, with many opportunities for oral presentations.
Check out our website for more details: ceneuroeuro2026.sciencesconf.org.
European C. elegans and CeNEURO Meeting 2026 - Sciencesconf.org
2026 European C. elegans and CeNEURO meeting
ceneuroeuro2026.sciencesconf.org
November 13, 2025 at 1:08 PM
C. elegans enthusiasts- save the date for two consecutive C. elegans meetings, taking place in Bordeaux, 29 June–3 July 2026.
Abstract submission will open around January, with many opportunities for oral presentations.
Check out our website for more details: ceneuroeuro2026.sciencesconf.org.
Abstract submission will open around January, with many opportunities for oral presentations.
Check out our website for more details: ceneuroeuro2026.sciencesconf.org.
Reposted by Xantha Karp
Make males live more than 400% longer and prevent sexual disfunction late in life?! We're down with it. Our latest preprint: Disruption of the insulin signaling pathway in C. elegans dramatically increases male longevity and enhances reproductive health late in life. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
November 6, 2025 at 11:14 PM
Make males live more than 400% longer and prevent sexual disfunction late in life?! We're down with it. Our latest preprint: Disruption of the insulin signaling pathway in C. elegans dramatically increases male longevity and enhances reproductive health late in life. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Xantha Karp
Well reported story on the PBS News Hour about science cuts and the ongoing and potential brain drain.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLvO...
Thanks to Terrance Tao and other scientists at various career stages for having the courage to speak out.
Watch and share!
1/7
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLvO...
Thanks to Terrance Tao and other scientists at various career stages for having the courage to speak out.
Watch and share!
1/7
Top researchers consider leaving U.S. amid funding cuts: 'The science world is ending'
YouTube video by PBS NewsHour
www.youtube.com
October 30, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Well reported story on the PBS News Hour about science cuts and the ongoing and potential brain drain.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLvO...
Thanks to Terrance Tao and other scientists at various career stages for having the courage to speak out.
Watch and share!
1/7
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLvO...
Thanks to Terrance Tao and other scientists at various career stages for having the courage to speak out.
Watch and share!
1/7
Reposted by Xantha Karp
Nektarios Tavernarakis on why curiosity-driven research, not focusing on application, is fundamental to problem solving and requires government support in @emboreports.org doi.org/10.1038/s443...
For the love of frontier research, or why Elon’s rockets keep blowing up | EMBO reports
EMBO Press is an editorially independent publishing platform for the development of EMBO scientific publications.
doi.org
October 29, 2025 at 11:57 AM
Nektarios Tavernarakis on why curiosity-driven research, not focusing on application, is fundamental to problem solving and requires government support in @emboreports.org doi.org/10.1038/s443...
Reposted by Xantha Karp
Cool! Thanks @embojournal.org for this great News and Views on our recent work characterizing how a conserved protein complex times C. elegans molting! www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
Such a fun collaboration with @labgrosshans.bsky.social @partchlab.bsky.social
Such a fun collaboration with @labgrosshans.bsky.social @partchlab.bsky.social
Old cogs, new clocks: a conserved protein complex controls developmental and circadian timing | The EMBO Journal
EMBO Press is an editorially independent publishing platform for the development of EMBO scientific publications.
www.embopress.org
October 25, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Cool! Thanks @embojournal.org for this great News and Views on our recent work characterizing how a conserved protein complex times C. elegans molting! www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
Such a fun collaboration with @labgrosshans.bsky.social @partchlab.bsky.social
Such a fun collaboration with @labgrosshans.bsky.social @partchlab.bsky.social