These innexins are critical for regeneration, as well as stem cell differentiation and maintenance. We conclude that abraçada cells are important contributors to stem cell function in planarians, serving as a bona fide niche. Such a fun discovery and lots to do next! 6/6

But are abraçada cells important? When preparing for her qualifying exam, Skylar came to me and showed me some EM data (from before she was born) that indicated that planarian stem cells form gap junctions with their neighbors. We found several innexins in the right place, and (drumroll)... 5/6

This neighbor, which we have called abraçada cells for the Catalan word for "hugging" (shout out to our planarian colleagues in Barcelona!), neighbors stem cells frequently in homeostasis and in regeneration, but neighbors stem cells less often upon their exit from the stem cell program. 4/6

But our main goal was to define the differentiated cells that "neighbor" planarian stem cells, in search of the elusive niche for these cells. We find that stem cells do likely have a variety of cells nearby, but that the dominant differentiated neighbor is a cathepsin+, phagocytic cell type. 3/6

One thing that Skylar found is that planarian stem cells' most common neighbor is other stem cells, an observation that raises new and interesting questions about how planarian stem cells influence each other. 2/6

My 9 year old has recently been asking a lot more questions about the books I'm reading. Last week, I read aloud the cursing dolphins passage of Starter Villain and now she wants to read your book. We're both going to find it quite amusing when that is the turning point of her becoming a SF fan.

Plus a very fast zebra swallowtail, variegated fritillary with a photobombing clearwing moth, and purple passionflower (one of my favorites). We also had a double rainbow yesterday evening!

Very grounding to focus on an ID of something you think you know fairly well (but actually don’t).

Easier to ID the lighter eastern tiger swallowtail (male I think?) as well as a Monarch and Great Spangled Fritillary!

Woohoo! Congrats and thank you for sharing some good news. Made my day! :)