John Burns
@burnsajohn.bsky.social
I like to think about how cells work, especially among #protists. Driven by curiosity and a love to share detailed research and odd observations. Senior Research Scientist, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences. He/him. https://www.protistsystems.org/
...of those objective lasers to try and cut holes in tiny cells and see whether they can heal. The way stentor pulls itself back together is like:
November 11, 2025 at 8:23 PM
...of those objective lasers to try and cut holes in tiny cells and see whether they can heal. The way stentor pulls itself back together is like:
I was trying to culture a local alga, but instead I created this tiny "amoebopolis". I think they ate the algae. Better luck next time, me!
November 7, 2025 at 3:54 PM
I was trying to culture a local alga, but instead I created this tiny "amoebopolis". I think they ate the algae. Better luck next time, me!
TIL about brackish water jellyfish like this Bay Nettle in the Chesapeake Bay. Cute little things.
www.vims.edu/bayinfo/jell...
www.vims.edu/bayinfo/jell...
November 7, 2025 at 4:22 AM
TIL about brackish water jellyfish like this Bay Nettle in the Chesapeake Bay. Cute little things.
www.vims.edu/bayinfo/jell...
www.vims.edu/bayinfo/jell...
My town has an annual giant pumpkin festival where it collects the biggest pumpkins from across the state, displays them around town, and has artists turn them into magical creations. Each year it is one of the best weekends I have experienced anywhere on Earth.
October 20, 2025 at 6:16 PM
My town has an annual giant pumpkin festival where it collects the biggest pumpkins from across the state, displays them around town, and has artists turn them into magical creations. Each year it is one of the best weekends I have experienced anywhere on Earth.
Observed on a building in Portland, ME. Submitted without comment 😂
October 15, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Observed on a building in Portland, ME. Submitted without comment 😂
Where's Waldo (the radiolarian) spiky fall diatom bloom edition! Can you find the radiolarian in this image? Remarkably... I can! Over a decade of training here for that 😅. Good luck! #protistsonsky 🦑
October 3, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Where's Waldo (the radiolarian) spiky fall diatom bloom edition! Can you find the radiolarian in this image? Remarkably... I can! Over a decade of training here for that 😅. Good luck! #protistsonsky 🦑
Haha! Well, these cells are considered the stars of the sea. The mineral that makes those spiky arms is called "celestite". From Wiki: "Celestine derives its name from the Latin word caelestis... which in turn is derived from the Latin word caelum meaning sky, air, weather, atmosphere and heaven"
October 3, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Haha! Well, these cells are considered the stars of the sea. The mineral that makes those spiky arms is called "celestite". From Wiki: "Celestine derives its name from the Latin word caelestis... which in turn is derived from the Latin word caelum meaning sky, air, weather, atmosphere and heaven"
I've seen this several times: when Acantharians get big enough they like to eat tintinnids. And they always orient with the lorica opening pointed in: like they are slurping up a little jello shot. That glass house can't protect you from these weird predators little ciliate! 🦑 #protistsonsky
October 2, 2025 at 7:46 PM
I've seen this several times: when Acantharians get big enough they like to eat tintinnids. And they always orient with the lorica opening pointed in: like they are slurping up a little jello shot. That glass house can't protect you from these weird predators little ciliate! 🦑 #protistsonsky
The radiolarian hipster says to the diatoms "I was a spiky glass cell before it was cool" (first radiolarians appeared ~500 million years ago; first diatoms ~200 million years ago).
But the diatoms grow *much* faster. No one even knows how radiolarians grow at all! They don't seem to eat diatoms 😅
But the diatoms grow *much* faster. No one even knows how radiolarians grow at all! They don't seem to eat diatoms 😅
September 30, 2025 at 7:11 PM
The radiolarian hipster says to the diatoms "I was a spiky glass cell before it was cool" (first radiolarians appeared ~500 million years ago; first diatoms ~200 million years ago).
But the diatoms grow *much* faster. No one even knows how radiolarians grow at all! They don't seem to eat diatoms 😅
But the diatoms grow *much* faster. No one even knows how radiolarians grow at all! They don't seem to eat diatoms 😅
Sparkles in the night, an acantharian and radiolarian in semi-dark field (or two arms of a goose-neck lamp pointed at the sides of the dish 😅). #protistsonsky 🦑
September 26, 2025 at 1:02 AM
Sparkles in the night, an acantharian and radiolarian in semi-dark field (or two arms of a goose-neck lamp pointed at the sides of the dish 😅). #protistsonsky 🦑
Some little circus performers. #protistsonsky
September 20, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Some little circus performers. #protistsonsky
Clearing out the skeleton in the last stages of swarmer release (sped up about 8x).
September 12, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Clearing out the skeleton in the last stages of swarmer release (sped up about 8x).
I collected this beautiful acantharian cell into an intermediate dish knowing it was getting ready to swarm... but by the time I returned to it to transfer it to an individual well it had already started to release swarmers. So, I just captured the end of the process. Enjoy! #protistsonsky 🦑
September 12, 2025 at 3:26 PM
I collected this beautiful acantharian cell into an intermediate dish knowing it was getting ready to swarm... but by the time I returned to it to transfer it to an individual well it had already started to release swarmers. So, I just captured the end of the process. Enjoy! #protistsonsky 🦑
Saw this angry monster in my marine plankton tow in Maine, USA... anyone recognize it (@elizabethbeston.bsky.social)? It's a few mm across, took up the whole field of view at 5x.
September 12, 2025 at 12:07 PM
Saw this angry monster in my marine plankton tow in Maine, USA... anyone recognize it (@elizabethbeston.bsky.social)? It's a few mm across, took up the whole field of view at 5x.
Anyone recognize this ball of cells? Internally it looks like a loose network of cells. It is pretty coherent and returns to shape after deformation. I don't think it is an animal, so I am tagging with #protistsonsky. I'd estimate it is around 250 microns in diameter. From a saltwater estuary.
August 28, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Anyone recognize this ball of cells? Internally it looks like a loose network of cells. It is pretty coherent and returns to shape after deformation. I don't think it is an animal, so I am tagging with #protistsonsky. I'd estimate it is around 250 microns in diameter. From a saltwater estuary.
Here are some bonus (remarkable) UExM images of Oophila algae from my lab cultures (not directly related to the study) @dudinlab.bsky.social: your protocol (www.protocols.io/view/u-exm-o...) worked pretty well the first go!
August 17, 2025 at 10:05 PM
Here are some bonus (remarkable) UExM images of Oophila algae from my lab cultures (not directly related to the study) @dudinlab.bsky.social: your protocol (www.protocols.io/view/u-exm-o...) worked pretty well the first go!
The pitcher plants were also blooming with their weird inverted flowers.
August 17, 2025 at 12:02 PM
The pitcher plants were also blooming with their weird inverted flowers.
Visited the local kettle-bog and saw all three local carnivorous plants: pitcher plants, sundew, and bladderwort. The bladderwort specializes in feeding on #protists.
August 17, 2025 at 12:02 PM
Visited the local kettle-bog and saw all three local carnivorous plants: pitcher plants, sundew, and bladderwort. The bladderwort specializes in feeding on #protists.
The lab computer isn't networked, that's why Im always sharing cell phone pics through the oculars. No time for those extra steps to transfer, open, process, save images. This little acantharian is about 30 microns across for the main cell body and 113 microns tip to tip.
August 13, 2025 at 4:49 PM
The lab computer isn't networked, that's why Im always sharing cell phone pics through the oculars. No time for those extra steps to transfer, open, process, save images. This little acantharian is about 30 microns across for the main cell body and 113 microns tip to tip.
Although you could fool me, this isn't a 🦑. It is a microscopic single-celled organism called a tintinid (a type of ciliate). This marine species is common here in the Gulf of Maine and it makes a little cup shaped house out of debris. I think it uses teeny sand grains. #protistsonsky
August 12, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Although you could fool me, this isn't a 🦑. It is a microscopic single-celled organism called a tintinid (a type of ciliate). This marine species is common here in the Gulf of Maine and it makes a little cup shaped house out of debris. I think it uses teeny sand grains. #protistsonsky
Bonus acantharian today! These and radiolarians will become more abundant as summer ends and fall rolls in. I'm here for it! #starofthesea #protistsonsky #marinelife
August 12, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Bonus acantharian today! These and radiolarians will become more abundant as summer ends and fall rolls in. I'm here for it! #starofthesea #protistsonsky #marinelife