marine embryo (ascidian/Phallusia) making a gut (gastrulation)...thanks to the Ascidian BioCell Team. Cell contours are blue, microtubules that separate the chromosomes are magenta

Microtubules still doing their thing in an early ascidian embryo (Phallusia). Thanks to the Ascidian BioCell Team

...and here is the same Pteropod embryo a little later

some marine invertebrate embryos doing their thing - Pteropods or "wing footed" embryos collected from the bay here at Villefranche.

An ascidian tadpole losing its tail in a few hours. Tiny little sea critter at this stage (around 1mm long). Thanks to the Ascidian BioCell Team

Some Marine Cell Biology for you. Migrating cell in #ascidian (Phallusia). Cell leaves (delaminates) the neural tube and migrates towards anterior end (upper left) of forming tadpole. Thanks to AscidianBioCell team and Alberto Stolfi for the lineage-specific marker of this cell.

Happy New Year - a short movie showing tail extension in the ascidian embryo (plasma membrane, microtubules and DNA labelled). Thanks to the Ascidian BioCell Team

An ascidian egg dividing - as seen with fluorescent LifeAct protein (labels actin). The cleavage ring becoming smaller. Thanks to the Ascidian BioCell Team at LBDV

Notochord cells lining up like a (horizontal) stack of coins in the #ascidian (Phallusia) embryo as the tail extends. Thanks to Michael Veeman when he visited and the @AscidianBioCell Team.