Nick Desnoyer
@nickdesnoyer.bsky.social
Postdoc and level 5 Plant Programmer 🧬
Engineering new types of flowers for art and education 🌹
www.nickdesnoyer.com
Engineering new types of flowers for art and education 🌹
www.nickdesnoyer.com
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Nick Desnoyer
@nickdesnoyer.bsky.social
· Dec 12
In one year, I genetically engineered the boring Arabidopsis into a beautiful ornamental flower 🧬🌹
Here is how and why I gave this model organism a visual upgrade 🧵(1/7)
Here is how and why I gave this model organism a visual upgrade 🧵(1/7)
After 10 Fridays, 10 flowers, and 100+ drawings, the Florédex is complete! ✨
Come take a tour of the design and science behind 10 iconic flowers 🌺🧵
Come take a tour of the design and science behind 10 iconic flowers 🌺🧵
November 21, 2025 at 9:59 AM
After 10 Fridays, 10 flowers, and 100+ drawings, the Florédex is complete! ✨
Come take a tour of the design and science behind 10 iconic flowers 🌺🧵
Come take a tour of the design and science behind 10 iconic flowers 🌺🧵
"Technology always becomes obsolete, but a good aesthetic is, by definition, timeless" -Sheehan Quirke
Preview of my flower design toolkit and its visual language.
Preview of my flower design toolkit and its visual language.
November 17, 2025 at 10:09 AM
"Technology always becomes obsolete, but a good aesthetic is, by definition, timeless" -Sheehan Quirke
Preview of my flower design toolkit and its visual language.
Preview of my flower design toolkit and its visual language.
By radiating plants, one begins to unlock new floral forms, enabling our understanding of the underlying patterns written in their DNA and developmental programs.
Familiar forms re-emerge, and evolutionary routes towards recognisable systems reveal themselves 👇
Familiar forms re-emerge, and evolutionary routes towards recognisable systems reveal themselves 👇
Freaky Flowers Volume 3!🌸🧬
Did you know that just a few mutations can transform the Arabidopsis flower into all kinds of forms? 🤯
Here’s a tour of 6 mutants that orchestrate floral development and architecture 🧵
Did you know that just a few mutations can transform the Arabidopsis flower into all kinds of forms? 🤯
Here’s a tour of 6 mutants that orchestrate floral development and architecture 🧵
November 16, 2025 at 11:58 AM
By radiating plants, one begins to unlock new floral forms, enabling our understanding of the underlying patterns written in their DNA and developmental programs.
Familiar forms re-emerge, and evolutionary routes towards recognisable systems reveal themselves 👇
Familiar forms re-emerge, and evolutionary routes towards recognisable systems reveal themselves 👇
Friday Flower 010: Rosa hybrida ✨
Roses come in a range of colors, often blending into beautiful gradients due to their anthocyanins.
In 2004, Florigene created the world’s first “blue rose,” using delphinidin biosynthesis to achieve a hue long thought impossible.
Roses come in a range of colors, often blending into beautiful gradients due to their anthocyanins.
In 2004, Florigene created the world’s first “blue rose,” using delphinidin biosynthesis to achieve a hue long thought impossible.
November 14, 2025 at 10:54 AM
Friday Flower 010: Rosa hybrida ✨
Roses come in a range of colors, often blending into beautiful gradients due to their anthocyanins.
In 2004, Florigene created the world’s first “blue rose,” using delphinidin biosynthesis to achieve a hue long thought impossible.
Roses come in a range of colors, often blending into beautiful gradients due to their anthocyanins.
In 2004, Florigene created the world’s first “blue rose,” using delphinidin biosynthesis to achieve a hue long thought impossible.
Daily dose of micro-rose propaganda ✨
November 12, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Daily dose of micro-rose propaganda ✨
Biology requires some level of faith that what you’re doing is going to work.
I keep these paper prototypes of the flowers I am making on my bench as a patient reminder. It will work.
I keep these paper prototypes of the flowers I am making on my bench as a patient reminder. It will work.
November 8, 2025 at 12:28 PM
Biology requires some level of faith that what you’re doing is going to work.
I keep these paper prototypes of the flowers I am making on my bench as a patient reminder. It will work.
I keep these paper prototypes of the flowers I am making on my bench as a patient reminder. It will work.
Friday Flower 009: Nigella arvensis ✨
Nigella’s flowers form a morphologically complex display with ornate bracts and blue sepals.
The true petals have diverse patterning with intricate, nectar-bearing structures that look alien.
Nigella’s flowers form a morphologically complex display with ornate bracts and blue sepals.
The true petals have diverse patterning with intricate, nectar-bearing structures that look alien.
November 7, 2025 at 9:17 AM
Friday Flower 009: Nigella arvensis ✨
Nigella’s flowers form a morphologically complex display with ornate bracts and blue sepals.
The true petals have diverse patterning with intricate, nectar-bearing structures that look alien.
Nigella’s flowers form a morphologically complex display with ornate bracts and blue sepals.
The true petals have diverse patterning with intricate, nectar-bearing structures that look alien.
Stepped into the “room of rare books” @JohnInnesCentre today and was blown away…
Les roses by Redouté, Origin of species by Darwin, and a 1511 book on mythical beasts!
Les roses by Redouté, Origin of species by Darwin, and a 1511 book on mythical beasts!
November 6, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Stepped into the “room of rare books” @JohnInnesCentre today and was blown away…
Les roses by Redouté, Origin of species by Darwin, and a 1511 book on mythical beasts!
Les roses by Redouté, Origin of species by Darwin, and a 1511 book on mythical beasts!
Last week I toured Neoplants, a biotech company engineering houseplants! 🧬🌱
Hidden just off the streets of Paris, their lab is the most beautiful biotech space I’ve ever seen.
Hidden just off the streets of Paris, their lab is the most beautiful biotech space I’ve ever seen.
November 3, 2025 at 12:28 PM
Last week I toured Neoplants, a biotech company engineering houseplants! 🧬🌱
Hidden just off the streets of Paris, their lab is the most beautiful biotech space I’ve ever seen.
Hidden just off the streets of Paris, their lab is the most beautiful biotech space I’ve ever seen.
Reposted by Nick Desnoyer
Reposted by Nick Desnoyer
🎃 Why are (Halloween) pumpkins orange – and not pink or blue? This secret is explored by @bpucker.bsky.social, @nancy-choudhary.bsky.social and Marie Hagedorn. Their research examines how carotenoids took over, making Jack O’Lanterns forever orange: www.uni-bonn.de/en/news/colo.... Happy Halloween!
October 31, 2025 at 1:07 PM
🎃 Why are (Halloween) pumpkins orange – and not pink or blue? This secret is explored by @bpucker.bsky.social, @nancy-choudhary.bsky.social and Marie Hagedorn. Their research examines how carotenoids took over, making Jack O’Lanterns forever orange: www.uni-bonn.de/en/news/colo.... Happy Halloween!
@igemhq.bsky.social and SB8 was unforgettable.
Would love to supervise a team on flower design for the new art/design village 🎨🌹🧬
Would love to supervise a team on flower design for the new art/design village 🎨🌹🧬
October 31, 2025 at 5:16 PM
@igemhq.bsky.social and SB8 was unforgettable.
Would love to supervise a team on flower design for the new art/design village 🎨🌹🧬
Would love to supervise a team on flower design for the new art/design village 🎨🌹🧬
Don’t miss my presentation @iGEM tomorrow at 14:00 main stage!
I will be throwing out bio-designer shirts to the back row 🧬🤘
I will be throwing out bio-designer shirts to the back row 🧬🤘
October 29, 2025 at 9:16 AM
Don’t miss my presentation @iGEM tomorrow at 14:00 main stage!
I will be throwing out bio-designer shirts to the back row 🧬🤘
I will be throwing out bio-designer shirts to the back row 🧬🤘
Thank you Rainer 🙏
I think this is one of the most powerful displays of what genetic engineering can do. Flower size and organ identity changed. And flower colour changes in a temporal order.
It shows we really understand flower development to a remarkable extent.
Awesome @nickdesnoyer.bsky.social!
It shows we really understand flower development to a remarkable extent.
Awesome @nickdesnoyer.bsky.social!
Genetically engineered color-changing Arabidopsis 🧬📷- attempt #3
I think I finally nailed it with this one.
I think I finally nailed it with this one.
October 27, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Thank you Rainer 🙏
Genetically engineered color-changing Arabidopsis 🧬📷- attempt #3
I think I finally nailed it with this one.
I think I finally nailed it with this one.
October 27, 2025 at 11:53 AM
Genetically engineered color-changing Arabidopsis 🧬📷- attempt #3
I think I finally nailed it with this one.
I think I finally nailed it with this one.
Friday Flower 008: Tulip 🌷
Tulip’s pastel colors and waxy cuticle that scatters light give them a soft watercolor look.
The “broken” petals of Semper Augustus, created by a virus, became some of the most famous and valuable flowers in history... and their genome is 34Gb 🤯
Tulip’s pastel colors and waxy cuticle that scatters light give them a soft watercolor look.
The “broken” petals of Semper Augustus, created by a virus, became some of the most famous and valuable flowers in history... and their genome is 34Gb 🤯
October 24, 2025 at 9:04 AM
Friday Flower 008: Tulip 🌷
Tulip’s pastel colors and waxy cuticle that scatters light give them a soft watercolor look.
The “broken” petals of Semper Augustus, created by a virus, became some of the most famous and valuable flowers in history... and their genome is 34Gb 🤯
Tulip’s pastel colors and waxy cuticle that scatters light give them a soft watercolor look.
The “broken” petals of Semper Augustus, created by a virus, became some of the most famous and valuable flowers in history... and their genome is 34Gb 🤯
"Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions" -Albert Einstein
October 23, 2025 at 5:26 PM
"Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions" -Albert Einstein
One of my Arabidopsis micro-roses next to its wild type sister ✨
Now just to make it rainbow 🧬...
Now just to make it rainbow 🧬...
October 22, 2025 at 4:06 PM
One of my Arabidopsis micro-roses next to its wild type sister ✨
Now just to make it rainbow 🧬...
Now just to make it rainbow 🧬...
Flatworms are the golden retrievers of the microbe world🔬
October 19, 2025 at 10:41 AM
Flatworms are the golden retrievers of the microbe world🔬
Reposted by Nick Desnoyer
Fantastic hosting the @GoogleDeepMind team at TSL with @kamounlab.bsky.social 🌱
From AI in plant health to building scientific capacity, our missions clearly resonate!
Tools like AlphaFold can accelerate scientific breakthroughs in our field -holding real promise for global food security 🌍
From AI in plant health to building scientific capacity, our missions clearly resonate!
Tools like AlphaFold can accelerate scientific breakthroughs in our field -holding real promise for global food security 🌍
October 16, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Fantastic hosting the @GoogleDeepMind team at TSL with @kamounlab.bsky.social 🌱
From AI in plant health to building scientific capacity, our missions clearly resonate!
Tools like AlphaFold can accelerate scientific breakthroughs in our field -holding real promise for global food security 🌍
From AI in plant health to building scientific capacity, our missions clearly resonate!
Tools like AlphaFold can accelerate scientific breakthroughs in our field -holding real promise for global food security 🌍
Thanks for the support!
Boas is a level 99 plant programmer 🧬
Boas is a level 99 plant programmer 🧬
Huge thanks to @nickdesnoyer.bsky.social for this stunning design! 🌸
Do not miss his incredible flower sculpting and painting project — a beautiful blend of art and science:
www.nickdesnoyer.com/plant-engine...
#SciArt #Design #Innovation
Do not miss his incredible flower sculpting and painting project — a beautiful blend of art and science:
www.nickdesnoyer.com/plant-engine...
#SciArt #Design #Innovation
October 15, 2025 at 9:36 AM
Thanks for the support!
Boas is a level 99 plant programmer 🧬
Boas is a level 99 plant programmer 🧬
Reposted by Nick Desnoyer
Ran into these AMAZING Stapelia grandiflora in our conservatory today. The patterns, colors, hairs, and the smell - carrion mimic to perfection. #Stapelia #plantjoy #iamabotanist
October 13, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Ran into these AMAZING Stapelia grandiflora in our conservatory today. The patterns, colors, hairs, and the smell - carrion mimic to perfection. #Stapelia #plantjoy #iamabotanist
Heat-shock inducible CRE-LOX of RUBY making cool sectors in my primary transformants (though a bit leaky) 🌱🧬
October 14, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Heat-shock inducible CRE-LOX of RUBY making cool sectors in my primary transformants (though a bit leaky) 🌱🧬
Friday Flower 007: Petunia 💮✨
Petunias carry the active transposon dTph1, which powers mutant screens and paints stripey patterns as it jumps.
Their five petals are fused, with diverse color designs tracing the corolla’s fusion seam.
Petunias carry the active transposon dTph1, which powers mutant screens and paints stripey patterns as it jumps.
Their five petals are fused, with diverse color designs tracing the corolla’s fusion seam.
October 10, 2025 at 9:12 AM
Friday Flower 007: Petunia 💮✨
Petunias carry the active transposon dTph1, which powers mutant screens and paints stripey patterns as it jumps.
Their five petals are fused, with diverse color designs tracing the corolla’s fusion seam.
Petunias carry the active transposon dTph1, which powers mutant screens and paints stripey patterns as it jumps.
Their five petals are fused, with diverse color designs tracing the corolla’s fusion seam.
Thermie really doing the most today
October 9, 2025 at 11:39 AM
Thermie really doing the most today