Scott Coyle
@cellraiser.bsky.social
signaling systems and protein circuitry. reimagining what cells can be. fun posts only. Assistant Professor:
@uwbiochem | Postdoc: @stanford @prakashlab | Ph.D.:
@ucsf Wendell Lim @CDI_UCSF
@uwbiochem | Postdoc: @stanford @prakashlab | Ph.D.:
@ucsf Wendell Lim @CDI_UCSF
Finally – there are many mysteries to still resolve for these cells. From dramatic metamorphic capabilities🤯 to prey preference and detection mechanisms 🕵️. For anyone interested in collaborating or getting their hands on these cells, these fantastic beasts culture well and we’re happy to share!
November 18, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Finally – there are many mysteries to still resolve for these cells. From dramatic metamorphic capabilities🤯 to prey preference and detection mechanisms 🕵️. For anyone interested in collaborating or getting their hands on these cells, these fantastic beasts culture well and we’re happy to share!
We couldn’t have taken this study to the next level without Omaya and Marine from team @dudinlab.bsky.social and Amy and Lauren from team @amyweeks.bsky.social . Together their talents brought the additional molecular and structural clarity we needed to model this circuit’s behavior fully.
November 18, 2025 at 4:15 PM
We couldn’t have taken this study to the next level without Omaya and Marine from team @dudinlab.bsky.social and Amy and Lauren from team @amyweeks.bsky.social . Together their talents brought the additional molecular and structural clarity we needed to model this circuit’s behavior fully.
This work shines because of @zjmaggiexu.bsky.social passion for these cells. She built it all—the cultures, transcriptomes, analyses, modeling and collaborations—from scratch. I can’t begin to express how brilliant and hard-working a scientist she is (and she's 👀 for postdocs!). So proud of her 🥲
November 18, 2025 at 4:15 PM
This work shines because of @zjmaggiexu.bsky.social passion for these cells. She built it all—the cultures, transcriptomes, analyses, modeling and collaborations—from scratch. I can’t begin to express how brilliant and hard-working a scientist she is (and she's 👀 for postdocs!). So proud of her 🥲
More broadly, this circuit’s architecture provides a general control logic for organizing number and size of natural and engineered sub-cellular structures. Morphological circuits like this one can be viewed as building blocks for cell structure, analogous to network motifs and circuit topologies.
November 18, 2025 at 4:15 PM
More broadly, this circuit’s architecture provides a general control logic for organizing number and size of natural and engineered sub-cellular structures. Morphological circuits like this one can be viewed as building blocks for cell structure, analogous to network motifs and circuit topologies.
While our model was built to describe P. collini’s trap scaling, we found that the trap geometries of other suctorian species from different niches could be modeled as re-parameterizations or extensions of this same core control logic!
November 18, 2025 at 4:15 PM
While our model was built to describe P. collini’s trap scaling, we found that the trap geometries of other suctorian species from different niches could be modeled as re-parameterizations or extensions of this same core control logic!
From this, we built a mathematical model of a single-cell morphology circuit that captures the resource allocation and feedback that optimizes P. collini trap structure, in which deterministic growth of tentacles competing for free resources is interrupted by stochastic jumps in tentacle number.
November 18, 2025 at 4:15 PM
From this, we built a mathematical model of a single-cell morphology circuit that captures the resource allocation and feedback that optimizes P. collini trap structure, in which deterministic growth of tentacles competing for free resources is interrupted by stochastic jumps in tentacle number.
Key transcripts encoded centrin-like proteins, a frequent component of sensory/contractile structures in protists. We visualized tentacle ultrastructure by U-ExM with @dudinlab.bsky.social lab, discovering stunning tip and collar structures 🤯that add structural complexity to new tentacle formation.
November 18, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Key transcripts encoded centrin-like proteins, a frequent component of sensory/contractile structures in protists. We visualized tentacle ultrastructure by U-ExM with @dudinlab.bsky.social lab, discovering stunning tip and collar structures 🤯that add structural complexity to new tentacle formation.
Working with the @amyweeks.bsky.social lab, we used a combination of drug perturbation, proteomics, and sequencing experiments to delineate the cellular mechanisms that control trap structure maintenance and tentacle number. Critically, new tentacle formation required new transcription.
November 18, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Working with the @amyweeks.bsky.social lab, we used a combination of drug perturbation, proteomics, and sequencing experiments to delineate the cellular mechanisms that control trap structure maintenance and tentacle number. Critically, new tentacle formation required new transcription.
From single-cell feeding trajectories, we found that P. collini can adaptively remodel its trap structure towards the optimal configuration, expanding it upon capture and dismantling it during starvation. So what encodes the scaling and functional adaptation of the tentacle trap?
November 18, 2025 at 4:15 PM
From single-cell feeding trajectories, we found that P. collini can adaptively remodel its trap structure towards the optimal configuration, expanding it upon capture and dismantling it during starvation. So what encodes the scaling and functional adaptation of the tentacle trap?
From >100,000 single-cell morphologies, we found that P. collini’s trap architecture scales anisotropically, favoring tentacle number over length. Remarkably, the observed scaling appeared to allocate available resources and organize trap geometry optimally for prey capture.
November 18, 2025 at 4:15 PM
From >100,000 single-cell morphologies, we found that P. collini’s trap architecture scales anisotropically, favoring tentacle number over length. Remarkably, the observed scaling appeared to allocate available resources and organize trap geometry optimally for prey capture.
We found that P. collini traps display a broad range of morphological configurations: tentacle numbers from 1-25; and tentacle lengths ~15-30 um. To study this variation systematically, we built a deep-learning pipeline and suctorian-viewer app that digitizes the 3D morphology of P. collini cells.
November 18, 2025 at 4:15 PM
We found that P. collini traps display a broad range of morphological configurations: tentacle numbers from 1-25; and tentacle lengths ~15-30 um. To study this variation systematically, we built a deep-learning pipeline and suctorian-viewer app that digitizes the 3D morphology of P. collini cells.
Cellular structure self-organizes through an interplay between internal mechanisms and external cues. The single-celled suctorian P. collini builds a trap structure to capture large prey using microtubule feeding tentacles, creating feedback between cell morphology and prey availability.
November 18, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Cellular structure self-organizes through an interplay between internal mechanisms and external cues. The single-celled suctorian P. collini builds a trap structure to capture large prey using microtubule feeding tentacles, creating feedback between cell morphology and prey availability.
How do cells adapt morphology to function? In a 🔥 preprint by @zjmaggiexu.bsky.social , with @dudinlab.bsky.social and @amyweeks.bsky.social , we identify a self-organizing single-cell morphology circuit that optimizes the feeding trap structure of the suctorian P. collini. 🧵 tinyurl.com/4k8nv926
November 18, 2025 at 4:15 PM
How do cells adapt morphology to function? In a 🔥 preprint by @zjmaggiexu.bsky.social , with @dudinlab.bsky.social and @amyweeks.bsky.social , we identify a self-organizing single-cell morphology circuit that optimizes the feeding trap structure of the suctorian P. collini. 🧵 tinyurl.com/4k8nv926
Dennis and Elliott (another UW Madison UG!) created a huge value add by porting the GEO toolbox to budding yeast, helping us see the universality and transferability of the programming rules we worked out for human cells. They've got an exciting story using the power of yeast we plan to post soon!
March 4, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Dennis and Elliott (another UW Madison UG!) created a huge value add by porting the GEO toolbox to budding yeast, helping us see the universality and transferability of the programming rules we worked out for human cells. They've got an exciting story using the power of yeast we plan to post soon!
Maggie Xu @zjmaggiexu.bsky.social did incredible work driving the evolutionary bioinformatics, data mining and sequence analysis, This helped clarify the key structural and biochemical features that were hotspots for diversity and conservation in building up the GEO platform.
March 4, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Maggie Xu @zjmaggiexu.bsky.social did incredible work driving the evolutionary bioinformatics, data mining and sequence analysis, This helped clarify the key structural and biochemical features that were hotspots for diversity and conservation in building up the GEO platform.
Together the GEO framework provides a high-performance biochemical analogue to the carrier signals that power modern telecommunications. These circuits are just the beginning of what we aim to achieve with the power of protein oscillations.
March 4, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Together the GEO framework provides a high-performance biochemical analogue to the carrier signals that power modern telecommunications. These circuits are just the beginning of what we aim to achieve with the power of protein oscillations.
We demonstrate sensitive, real-time GEO-FM streaming of transcription and proteasomal degradation dynamics in single cells. Existing reporters can be converted into FM data streams measured in non-arbitrary units (ΔmHz) that are insensitive to photobleaching, fluorophore maturation , and intensity.
March 4, 2025 at 4:28 PM
We demonstrate sensitive, real-time GEO-FM streaming of transcription and proteasomal degradation dynamics in single cells. Existing reporters can be converted into FM data streams measured in non-arbitrary units (ΔmHz) that are insensitive to photobleaching, fluorophore maturation , and intensity.
In GEO-FM streaming circuits, we use a slow ATPase/activator pair to establish a carrier signal and use a fast activator module as an encoder. Coupling encoder levels to cellular activity drives changes in GEO frequency we track with signal processing and decode using a machine-learning model.
March 4, 2025 at 4:28 PM
In GEO-FM streaming circuits, we use a slow ATPase/activator pair to establish a carrier signal and use a fast activator module as an encoder. Coupling encoder levels to cellular activity drives changes in GEO frequency we track with signal processing and decode using a machine-learning model.
Critically, multiple activator modules could be layered together to create a composite GEO where frequency can be dynamically manipulated by the relative amounts of each activator. This provided a simple strategy for building FM data encoding circuits for single cell-streaming! 5/
March 4, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Critically, multiple activator modules could be layered together to create a composite GEO where frequency can be dynamically manipulated by the relative amounts of each activator. This provided a simple strategy for building FM data encoding circuits for single cell-streaming! 5/
Mining evolution, we found GEOs modules that could be synthetically recombined to generate faster or slower frequencies, akin to different color FPs. We characterized 169 GEO pairs in both human and yeast cells to develop a comprehensive platform for waveform programming across diverse eukaryotes
March 4, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Mining evolution, we found GEOs modules that could be synthetically recombined to generate faster or slower frequencies, akin to different color FPs. We characterized 169 GEO pairs in both human and yeast cells to develop a comprehensive platform for waveform programming across diverse eukaryotes
GEOs are constructed from evolutionarily diverse MinDE-family ATPase and activator modules that generate fast synthetic protein oscillations when co-expressed in human cells. These serve single-cell carrier signals, with frequency and amplitude controlled by GEO component levels and activity
March 4, 2025 at 4:28 PM
GEOs are constructed from evolutionarily diverse MinDE-family ATPase and activator modules that generate fast synthetic protein oscillations when co-expressed in human cells. These serve single-cell carrier signals, with frequency and amplitude controlled by GEO component levels and activity
FM encoding is powerful as its measured in real units (ΔHz) that are robust against fluctuating intensity and consistent b/t instruments. By assigning different frequencies to senders, multiple parallel streams can be transmitted and unmixed. GEOs unlock these capabilities for single-cell imaging
March 4, 2025 at 4:28 PM
FM encoding is powerful as its measured in real units (ΔHz) that are robust against fluctuating intensity and consistent b/t instruments. By assigning different frequencies to senders, multiple parallel streams can be transmitted and unmixed. GEOs unlock these capabilities for single-cell imaging
Excited to share a new preprint! Wireless devices use FM modulation to transmit multiplexed noise-resistant data. Led by @born2raisecell.bsky.social, we create a biochemical analogue of this paradigm using genetically encoded oscillators (GEOs) for single-cell FM streaming tinyurl.com/nbs8rw42 🧵
March 4, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Excited to share a new preprint! Wireless devices use FM modulation to transmit multiplexed noise-resistant data. Led by @born2raisecell.bsky.social, we create a biochemical analogue of this paradigm using genetically encoded oscillators (GEOs) for single-cell FM streaming tinyurl.com/nbs8rw42 🧵
brood (pocket) awakening
November 18, 2024 at 4:49 PM
brood (pocket) awakening