Piali Sengupta
@senguptalab.bsky.social
Brandeis Bio/Neuro. We study multiple aspects of sensory biology. Mostly in worms. Lab appears to be powered by vast quantities of junk food. Opinions mine.
senguptalab.org
senguptalab.org
Neuroscientists say No Kings
October 18, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Neuroscientists say No Kings
Good crowd here in Waltham
October 18, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Good crowd here in Waltham
Despite the mess, we are grateful to be funded, have exciting science happening, and have an opening for a postdoc!
If you are interested in sensory biology and esp in cilia, thermosensation, or interoception, and would like to join an interactive & supportive group - please email.
Please RT 🙏
If you are interested in sensory biology and esp in cilia, thermosensation, or interoception, and would like to join an interactive & supportive group - please email.
Please RT 🙏
October 16, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Despite the mess, we are grateful to be funded, have exciting science happening, and have an opening for a postdoc!
If you are interested in sensory biology and esp in cilia, thermosensation, or interoception, and would like to join an interactive & supportive group - please email.
Please RT 🙏
If you are interested in sensory biology and esp in cilia, thermosensation, or interoception, and would like to join an interactive & supportive group - please email.
Please RT 🙏
Farmers offering fantastic fungi
September 7, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Farmers offering fantastic fungi
Ukrainian Independence Day celebration. St John’s, NL, Canada.
August 24, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Ukrainian Independence Day celebration. St John’s, NL, Canada.
Puffins. Howling cold wind. Wild coastal scenery. Few people. Paradise.
August 16, 2025 at 10:39 PM
Puffins. Howling cold wind. Wild coastal scenery. Few people. Paradise.
We've now identified a molecule (a receptor guanylyl cyclase or rGC) that acts only in one of the two AWC neurons to drive the context-dependent response plasticity. The opposing responses (one neuron driving attraction, the other aversion) results in animals being indifferent to this chemical.
July 30, 2025 at 12:51 AM
We've now identified a molecule (a receptor guanylyl cyclase or rGC) that acts only in one of the two AWC neurons to drive the context-dependent response plasticity. The opposing responses (one neuron driving attraction, the other aversion) results in animals being indifferent to this chemical.
Proud to introduce Dr. Anjali Pandey who did a great job at her thesis defense and talk today. She is PhD #20 from the lab. Preprint link and associated bluetorial coming soon!
July 28, 2025 at 8:50 PM
Proud to introduce Dr. Anjali Pandey who did a great job at her thesis defense and talk today. She is PhD #20 from the lab. Preprint link and associated bluetorial coming soon!
Lab has always been pretty creative with upcoming thesis defense posters. This one's particularly good. And I suspect quite apt 😜
July 24, 2025 at 9:46 PM
Lab has always been pretty creative with upcoming thesis defense posters. This one's particularly good. And I suspect quite apt 😜
Waiting for paper reviews in the summer
July 12, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Waiting for paper reviews in the summer
Enthusiastic turnout in Waltham Common in the rain
June 14, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Enthusiastic turnout in Waltham Common in the rain
Has been an absolute pleasure and privilege to have had Maya Katz in the lab since her sophomore year. Here she is with her mentor Anjali Pandey (PhD student) and presenting her fantastic work in her senior honors thesis defense talk. We will miss you Maya!
May 2, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Has been an absolute pleasure and privilege to have had Maya Katz in the lab since her sophomore year. Here she is with her mentor Anjali Pandey (PhD student) and presenting her fantastic work in her senior honors thesis defense talk. We will miss you Maya!
Turns out that I3 signaling is necessary to regulate the expression of genes that regulate hypertonic stress sensitivity: encoding components of the cuticle and enzymes that generate osmolytes. No salt signals from I3 means faster water loss, decreased acclimation, and lower stress resistance. 6/n
April 18, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Turns out that I3 signaling is necessary to regulate the expression of genes that regulate hypertonic stress sensitivity: encoding components of the cuticle and enzymes that generate osmolytes. No salt signals from I3 means faster water loss, decreased acclimation, and lower stress resistance. 6/n
If you subject worms to a hypertonic stress (salt, sugar), they shrink, stop moving, and eventually die. If acclimated to lower salt, they survive on high salt (PMID 14644776).
Postdoc Jamie Yeon figured out that glr-9 mutants are more sensitive to high salt (but not sugar) stress. 4/n
Postdoc Jamie Yeon figured out that glr-9 mutants are more sensitive to high salt (but not sugar) stress. 4/n
April 18, 2025 at 8:05 PM
If you subject worms to a hypertonic stress (salt, sugar), they shrink, stop moving, and eventually die. If acclimated to lower salt, they survive on high salt (PMID 14644776).
Postdoc Jamie Yeon figured out that glr-9 mutants are more sensitive to high salt (but not sugar) stress. 4/n
Postdoc Jamie Yeon figured out that glr-9 mutants are more sensitive to high salt (but not sugar) stress. 4/n
One – GLR-9- is expressed only in the single I3 enteric neuron, and sits at its distal end where it would encounter ingested chemicals. GLR-9 is necessary and sufficient for responses to multiple cations. To what end? No effects on salt-evoked behaviors, pumping, foraging. We were baffled. 3/n
April 18, 2025 at 8:05 PM
One – GLR-9- is expressed only in the single I3 enteric neuron, and sits at its distal end where it would encounter ingested chemicals. GLR-9 is necessary and sufficient for responses to multiple cations. To what end? No effects on salt-evoked behaviors, pumping, foraging. We were baffled. 3/n
Harvard stands up.
www.harvard.edu/research-fun...
www.harvard.edu/research-fun...
April 14, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Harvard stands up.
www.harvard.edu/research-fun...
www.harvard.edu/research-fun...
Worm people standing up for science in DC. Waiting for Victor to speak!
March 7, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Worm people standing up for science in DC. Waiting for Victor to speak!
Happy 29th to us!
Celebrating 29 yrs of NIH & NSF funding, which has advanced our understanding of sensory transduction & processing in health & disease, trained 70+ students/PDs—now physicians, scientists, writers, teachers & more—and boosted the economy by purchasing supplies.
#StandUpForScience
Celebrating 29 yrs of NIH & NSF funding, which has advanced our understanding of sensory transduction & processing in health & disease, trained 70+ students/PDs—now physicians, scientists, writers, teachers & more—and boosted the economy by purchasing supplies.
#StandUpForScience
February 27, 2025 at 10:48 PM
Happy 29th to us!
Celebrating 29 yrs of NIH & NSF funding, which has advanced our understanding of sensory transduction & processing in health & disease, trained 70+ students/PDs—now physicians, scientists, writers, teachers & more—and boosted the economy by purchasing supplies.
#StandUpForScience
Celebrating 29 yrs of NIH & NSF funding, which has advanced our understanding of sensory transduction & processing in health & disease, trained 70+ students/PDs—now physicians, scientists, writers, teachers & more—and boosted the economy by purchasing supplies.
#StandUpForScience
Something beautiful to look at...
Photo by my very talented photographer bro-in-law Indrajeet Dasgupta (posted w/permission). He spent several days camped out in the snow and ice at 13,000 ft in Spiti Valley in the state of Himachal Pradesh in India to track this gorgeous female snow leopard.
Photo by my very talented photographer bro-in-law Indrajeet Dasgupta (posted w/permission). He spent several days camped out in the snow and ice at 13,000 ft in Spiti Valley in the state of Himachal Pradesh in India to track this gorgeous female snow leopard.
February 25, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Something beautiful to look at...
Photo by my very talented photographer bro-in-law Indrajeet Dasgupta (posted w/permission). He spent several days camped out in the snow and ice at 13,000 ft in Spiti Valley in the state of Himachal Pradesh in India to track this gorgeous female snow leopard.
Photo by my very talented photographer bro-in-law Indrajeet Dasgupta (posted w/permission). He spent several days camped out in the snow and ice at 13,000 ft in Spiti Valley in the state of Himachal Pradesh in India to track this gorgeous female snow leopard.
Did not expect to see this on the Tokyo subway. #WormsAreEverywhere
February 2, 2025 at 3:34 AM
Did not expect to see this on the Tokyo subway. #WormsAreEverywhere
Someone at some point looked at these and said - these are either yummy or will kill me if I eat them. Luckily for them (and for us) - it was the former.
January 1, 2025 at 10:54 AM
Someone at some point looked at these and said - these are either yummy or will kill me if I eat them. Luckily for them (and for us) - it was the former.
I think I’ll stay hungry for a little while longer
December 25, 2024 at 6:03 AM
I think I’ll stay hungry for a little while longer