- Embrio-list - ecn.purdue.edu

Proposal Idea Teams Monday, Upcoming events, reminders
by Brent Thomas Ladd 03 Feb '26

03 Feb '26

[cid:0ee9cfe2-c28f-41a3-94ec-23847babadb6] EMBRIOphytes, Several opportunities and reminders: * Catalyzing Small Teams for Grant Proposal Development: Thanks to all who participated in the survey to generate topic ideas and interest in leading discussions and new proposals. Results to date are available on new tabs of the EMBRIO Investigators Proposals Google spreadsheet<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdocs.goog…>. You can add your details to any of the spreadsheets via the tabs at the bottom of the main sheet [or contact Brent: (laddb(a)purdue.edu<mailto:laddb@purdue.edu> )] * This coming Monday’s session Feb. 9th 3pm ET for Working Proposal Teams: There will be two planned small group discussions (thanks to Jeremy and Linlin for leading these): * Jeremy Zartman: leading a discussion "Multi-PI proposal on computational biology of wound healing using concepts from neuroscience" * Linlin Li: leading a discussion "AI applications in the context of EMBRIO" * If you have a topic you want to offer to lead, let Brent know (laddb(a)purdue.edu<mailto:laddb@purdue.edu> ) * Zoom link for the meeting: Join Zoom Meeting https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/98340860035?pwd=QMR1WQF521J2G67ga7wcfoN9oSIbzY…<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue-ed…> * Reminder: EMBRIO faculty at Purdue wishing to host a SURF student this summer, please post your research project(s) asap - and notify Brent (laddb(a)purdue.edu<mailto:laddb@purdue.edu>), as applicants window is open through February. Submit project postings here<https://maillinks.purdue.edu/t/48863454/1704294751/107443535/0/1007625/?x=a…> * Biological Sciences Department Seminar on Mentoring - 11:30 - 12:30, February 16 Please join us for Dr. Erin Dolan<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bmb.u…>, Professor of Innovative Science Education at the University of Georgia, for seminar titled, “The Dark Side of Development: When mentoring is problematic and what to do about it.” In person: LILY 1-117 Online: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/94572350614?pwd=P1QqfoLu5lYsUVoLiML5DTssLw1TbM…<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue-ed…> Meeting ID: 945 7235 0614 Passcode: 247406 * Chicago Cytoskeleton Meeting<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.goo…> Spring Meeting will be Friday, May 1st, 2026. Trainees have an opportunity to present a lightning talk, along with a poster session. More below. * Data management training materials<https://www.purdue.edu/research/embrio/resources/data-management-training.p…> developed by Scott Bolton for uploading PURR pages, OMERO image data, and raw data to Data Depot are available on the Institute website. You can also contact Beatriz Borrelly ( bborrell(a)purdue.edu<mailto:bborrell@purdue.edu> ) for assistance with data management. ________________________________ Chicago Cytoskeleton Meeting Friday May 1st, 2026 Loyola University Chicago’s Water Tower Campus The Spring edition of the Chicago Cytoskeleton Meeting<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.goo…> will take place on Friday May 1st, 2026 at Loyola University Chicago’s Water Tower Campus. The meeting will run from approximately 1 PM to 7 PM Central Time. This meeting will include a Keynote Lecture by Dr. Dyche Mullins<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmullinsla…> (UCSF), Trainee talks (see below), and a Poster session. A registration portal will be provided in the coming months with the option to present a poster. Trainee talks will be selected by the Steering Committee from a Lightning Talk Competition. Details can be found on the website<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.goo…> and submissions are due Monday, March 2nd. ________________________________ Brent T. Ladd, Senior Research Program Manager, EMBRIO Institute<https://www.purdue.edu/research/embrio/> Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University Office: Hall for Discovery Learning and Research, Ste. 203 207 S. Martin Jischke Drive West Lafayette, IN 47907 laddb(a)purdue.edu

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Today 3PM guest speaker Dr. Ondrej Maxian “Learning cytoskeletal self-organization through modeling and simulation: two stories of actin filaments.”
by Brent Thomas Ladd 28 Jan '26

28 Jan '26

[cid:702cb7a1-f894-47f2-bab3-34019767f4b1] Dear EMBRIO Community, Join us today at 3PM ET for our Research Update meeting with guest speaker Dr. Ondrej Maxian<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.nd.…>, presenting a talk on “Learning cytoskeletal self-organization through modeling and simulation: two stories of actin filaments.” Ondrej is Asst. Prof., Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics, Notre Dame. His research<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.nd.…> is about developing new mathematical tools to understand the mechanical structure of cells. Zoom Meeting Link<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue-ed…> Opportunities and reminders (see further below for details on each): * Catalyzing Small Teams for Grant Proposal Development: Everyone please share specific topics and proposal opportunities you are interested in collaborating with a small team through this three-question survey<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue.ca…>. (Trainees and Research Staff are encouraged to participate). Results will be complied and shared back out to the community as soon as possible. Thanks to those who have already done this. * At the start of our all-hands session on Monday, we will have a quick poll on dates and location about planning for our Y5 summer school and a joint symposium "Advancing Morphogenetic Biosciences and Bioengineering”. However, we welcome your further input using this brief online survey<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue.ca…> to capture your availability, plans and preferences, as well as input for training topics. * EMBRIO faculty at Purdue wishing to host a SURF student this summer, please post your research project(s) asap - and notify Brent (laddb(a)purdue.edu<mailto:laddb@purdue.edu>), as applicants window is open through early February. Submit project postings here<https://maillinks.purdue.edu/t/48863454/1704294751/107443535/0/1007625/?x=a…> * Data management training materials<https://www.purdue.edu/research/embrio/resources/data-management-training.p…> developed by Scott Bolton for uploading PURR pages, OMERO image data, and raw data to Data Depot are available on the Institute website. You can also contact Beatriz Borrelly ( bborrell(a)purdue.edu<mailto:bborrell@purdue.edu> ) for assistance with data management. * Chicago Cytoskeleton Meeting<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.goo…> Spring Meeting will be Friday, May 1st, 2026. Trainees have an opportunity to present a lightning talk, along with a poster session. * NSF seeks public input on its Fiscal Year (FY) 2026–2030 NSF Strategic Plan<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nsf.g…>: Responses are due no later than Jan. 27, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET. ________________________________ Catalyzing Small Teams for Grant Proposal Development To best assist in supporting the desire for those interested in collaborating on new ideas and new proposals that leverage and remain connected with EMBRIO, and in organizing future proposal discussions, please: * Let us know the specific topics and proposal opportunities you are interested in collaborating with a small team through this three-question survey<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue.ca…>. (Trainees and Research Staff are encouraged to participate). Results will be complied and shared back out to the community. * Review and update your entries for interest in the current available proposal opportunities that align with EMBRIO collaborative teams [Proposals master spreadsheet<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdocs.goog…>] Feel free to reach out to Brent (laddb(a)purdue.edu<mailto:laddb@purdue.edu>) with additional comments and ideas. Our next scheduled Working Proposal Teams session is February 9th. ________________________________ We Need Your Input: Dates, Plans, Topics for EMBRIO 2026 Summer School & Joint Symposium Use this brief online poll to capture your availability, plans and preferences, as well as input for training topics: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bkIw8bHUboD9Qwu<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue.ca…> A joint EMBRIO BII NSF - Notre Dame (RECODE NSF) one day symposium and poster session has been proposed focused on "Advancing Morphogenetic Biosciences and Bioengineering”, coupled with a multi-day training at the intersection of AI-levered computational modeling, quantitative biology, and bioengineering (e.g. https://sai.nd.edu/<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsai.nd.ed…>). The Symposium will feature EMBRIO speakers, along with speakers from Notre Dame, and invited Key Notes. Proposed to be hosted at our partners at University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana, EMBRIO will organize and help provide transportation and lodging for Purdue members to attend, as well as reimburse travel for EMBRIO trainees from our partner institutions to participate. ________________________________ Spring Semester EMBRIO All-Hands Schedule: Mondays 3-4pm Biweekly We will continue with Mondays bi-weekly 3-4pm ET (calendar invites will be sent out soon. The intention this spring semester is to have one session a month dedicated to research thrust updates and one session a month dedicated to working proposal team(s) collaborating on new funding proposals that leverage EMBRIO (trainees are welcome to attend/participate in these sessions). * Dates for Research Thrust Updates will be 3PM ET on Jan 26, Feb 23, Mar 23, April 20, May18. * Zoom link for the research updates: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/92296822713?pwd=m8tGuX9zXUL2MnYguV8KlCa9w0Tj4j…<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue-ed…> * Schedule for the semester research talks:  Jan 26 Feb 23 Mar 23 Apr 20 May 18 Guest Speaker: Ondrej Maxian 1. Staiger Lab 2. Iyer-Pascuzzi Lab 1. Mullins Lab 2. Deng Lab 1. Zartman Lab 2. Magana Lab 1. Gardner Lab 2. Kinzer-Ursem + Evans Labs * Dates for Working Proposal Teams will be 3-4PM ET on Jan 12, Feb 9, Mar 9, April 6, May 4. * Working teams will receive additional notifications and materials. * Zoom link for the meeting: Join Zoom Meeting https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/98340860035?pwd=QMR1WQF521J2G67ga7wcfoN9oSIbzY…<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue-ed…> * Please use the Proposals Master spreadsheet for coordinating interest and activity around a number of funding opportunities associated with EMBRIO. The spreadsheet and additional materials and notes will be posted on the EMBRIO Google Drive under EMBRIO Integrative Proposals folder: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ybkWSUnKPZhEvY7fQ-ixM0bBoY2wcQg0?us…<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdrive.goo…> * Proposal teams will need to schedule additional meeting times, though these dedicated times in the spring schedule can help foster coordination and ties between collaborative proposals and activity in this space that is leveraging EMBRIO research. ________________________________ Purdue EMBRIO Faculty: SUMMER UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP (SURF)- Accepting project postings! Purdue’s SURF program<https://maillinks.purdue.edu/t/48863454/1704294751/89814806/0/1007625/?x=70…> invites faculty to mentor outstanding undergraduates in an 11-week paid summer research experience at the West Lafayette or Indianapolis campuses. By mentoring a SURF student, faculty help shape future researchers while contributing to student growth and professional development. EMBRIO covers the PI amount of the internship cost and a housing stipend for non-Purdue students (your department and college, depending on the agreement, kick in the other 2/3 of the cost) Please let Brent know if you submit an EMBRIO project and indicate under the Centers/Institutes checkboxes that the project is an EMBRIO project. Submit project postings here<https://maillinks.purdue.edu/t/48863454/1704294751/107443535/0/1007625/?x=a…> ________________________________ EMBRIO Data Management Data management training materials<https://www.purdue.edu/research/embrio/resources/data-management-training.p…> developed by Scott Bolton for uploading PURR pages, OMERO image data, and raw data to Data Depot are available on the Institute website. You can also contact Beatriz Borrelly ( bborrell(a)purdue.edu<mailto:bborrell@purdue.edu> ), who is serving part-time with EMBRIO as Data Management Specialist, for assistance with your EMBRIO projects data management. ________________________________ Chicago Cytoskeleton Meeting Friday May 1st, 2026 Loyola University Chicago’s Water Tower Campus The Spring edition of the Chicago Cytoskeleton Meeting<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.goo…> will take place on Friday May 1st, 2026 at Loyola University Chicago’s Water Tower Campus. The meeting will run from approximately 1 PM to 7 PM Central Time. This meeting will include a Keynote Lecture by Dr. Dyche Mullins<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmullinsla…> (UCSF), Trainee talks (see below), and a Poster session. A registration portal will be provided in the coming months with the option to present a poster. Trainee talks will be selected by the Steering Committee from a Lightning Talk Competition. Details can be found on the website<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.goo…> and submissions are due Monday, March 2nd. ________________________________ NSF seeks public input on its Fiscal Year (FY) 2026–2030 NSF Strategic Plan<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nsf.g…>: Responses are due no later than Jan. 27, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET. ________________________________ Brent T. Ladd, Senior Research Program Manager, EMBRIO Institute<https://www.purdue.edu/research/embrio/> Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University Office: Hall for Discovery Learning and Research, Ste. 203 207 S. Martin Jischke Drive West Lafayette, IN 47907 laddb(a)purdue.edu

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Opportunities and reminders
by Brent Thomas Ladd 23 Jan '26

23 Jan '26

Dear EMBRIOphytes, Opportunities and reminders on our guest speaker on Monday, Dr. Ondrej Maxian<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.nd.…>, presenting a talk on “Learning cytoskeletal self-organization through modeling and simulation: two stories of actin filaments.” Also requesting your input on proposal teams formation, spring and summer events, hosting summer interns, and check out new data management materials to help in navigating uploading of published data (see further below for details on each): * This coming Monday at 3PM ET our Research Update meeting will host guest speaker Dr. Ondrej Maxian<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.nd.…>, presenting a talk on “Learning cytoskeletal self-organization through modeling and simulation: two stories of actin filaments.” Ondrej is Asst. Prof., Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics, Notre Dame. His research<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.nd.…> is about developing new mathematical tools to understand the mechanical structure of cells. * Catalyzing Small Teams for Grant Proposal Development: Everyone please share specific topics and proposal opportunities you are interested in collaborating with a small team through this three-question survey<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue.ca…>. (Trainees and Research Staff are encouraged to participate). Results will be complied and shared back out to the community as soon as possible. Thanks to those who have already done this. * At the start of our all-hands session on Monday, we will have a quick poll on dates and location about planning for our Y5 summer school and a joint symposium "Advancing Morphogenetic Biosciences and Bioengineering”. However, we welcome your further input using this brief online survey<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue.ca…> to capture your availability, plans and preferences, as well as input for training topics. * EMBRIO faculty at Purdue wishing to host a SURF student this summer, please post your research project(s) asap - and notify Brent (laddb(a)purdue.edu<mailto:laddb@purdue.edu>), as applicants window is open through early February. Submit project postings here<https://maillinks.purdue.edu/t/48863454/1704294751/107443535/0/1007625/?x=a…> * Data management training materials<https://www.purdue.edu/research/embrio/resources/data-management-training.p…> developed by Scott Bolton for uploading PURR pages, OMERO image data, and raw data to Data Depot are available on the Institute website. You can also contact Beatriz Borrelly ( bborrell(a)purdue.edu<mailto:bborrell@purdue.edu> ) for assistance with data management. * Chicago Cytoskeleton Meeting<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.goo…> Spring Meeting will be Friday, May 1st, 2026. Trainees have an opportunity to present a lightning talk, along with a poster session. * NSF seeks public input on its Fiscal Year (FY) 2026–2030 NSF Strategic Plan<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nsf.g…>: Responses are due no later than Jan. 27, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET. ________________________________ EMBRIO All-Hands Research Seminar: Guest Presenter - 3PM, Monday, January 26 Dr. Ondrej Maxian<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.nd.…>, Asst. Prof., Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics, Notre Dame, will present “Learning cytoskeletal self-organization through modeling and simulation: two stories of actin filaments.” during our All-Hands Lab Research Updates meeting 3PM, Monday, January 26. A recent Chicago-Yen Fellow in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago (working primarily with Ed Munro<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmunrolab.…>), Ondrej completed his doctorate at New York University working with Aleksandar Donev<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcims.nyu.…> and Alex Mogilner<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcims.nyu.…>. His research<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.nd.…> program at Notre Dame is about developing new mathematical tools to understand the mechanical structure of cells. Further details about the Spring Semester Schedule for All-Hands Research Updates and Working Proposal Teams is below. ________________________________ Catalyzing Small Teams for Grant Proposal Development To best assist in supporting the desire for those interested in collaborating on new ideas and new proposals that leverage and remain connected with EMBRIO, and in organizing future proposal discussions, please: * Let us know the specific topics and proposal opportunities you are interested in collaborating with a small team through this three-question survey<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue.ca…>. (Trainees and Research Staff are encouraged to participate). Results will be complied and shared back out to the community. * Review and update your entries for interest in the current available proposal opportunities that align with EMBRIO collaborative teams [Proposals master spreadsheet<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdocs.goog…>] Feel free to reach out to Brent (laddb(a)purdue.edu<mailto:laddb@purdue.edu>) with additional comments and ideas. Our next scheduled Working Proposal Teams session is February 9th. ________________________________ We Need Your Input: Dates, Plans, Topics for EMBRIO 2026 Summer School & Joint Symposium Use this brief online poll to capture your availability, plans and preferences, as well as input for training topics: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bkIw8bHUboD9Qwu<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue.ca…> A joint EMBRIO BII NSF - Notre Dame (RECODE NSF) one day symposium and poster session has been proposed focused on "Advancing Morphogenetic Biosciences and Bioengineering”, coupled with a multi-day training at the intersection of AI-levered computational modeling, quantitative biology, and bioengineering (e.g. https://sai.nd.edu/<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsai.nd.ed…>). The Symposium will feature EMBRIO speakers, along with speakers from Notre Dame, and invited Key Notes. Proposed to be hosted at our partners at University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana, EMBRIO will organize and help provide transportation and lodging for Purdue members to attend, as well as reimburse travel for EMBRIO trainees from our partner institutions to participate. ________________________________ Spring Semester EMBRIO All-Hands Schedule: Mondays 3-4pm Biweekly We will continue with Mondays bi-weekly 3-4pm ET (calendar invites will be sent out soon. The intention this spring semester is to have one session a month dedicated to research thrust updates and one session a month dedicated to working proposal team(s) collaborating on new funding proposals that leverage EMBRIO (trainees are welcome to attend/participate in these sessions). * Dates for Research Thrust Updates will be 3PM ET on Jan 26, Feb 23, Mar 23, April 20, May18. * Zoom link for the research updates: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/92296822713?pwd=m8tGuX9zXUL2MnYguV8KlCa9w0Tj4j…<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue-ed…> * Schedule for the semester research talks: Jan 26 Feb 23 Mar 23 Apr 20 May 18 Guest Speaker: Ondrej Maxian 1. Staiger Lab 2. Iyer-Pascuzzi Lab 1. Mullins Lab 2. Deng Lab 1. Zartman Lab 2. Magana Lab 1. Gardner Lab 2. Kinzer-Ursem + Evans Labs * Dates for Working Proposal Teams will be 3-4PM ET on Jan 12, Feb 9, Mar 9, April 6, May 4. * Working teams will receive additional notifications and materials. * Zoom link for the meeting: Join Zoom Meeting https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/98340860035?pwd=QMR1WQF521J2G67ga7wcfoN9oSIbzY…<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue-ed…> * Please use the Proposals Master spreadsheet for coordinating interest and activity around a number of funding opportunities associated with EMBRIO. The spreadsheet and additional materials and notes will be posted on the EMBRIO Google Drive under EMBRIO Integrative Proposals folder: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ybkWSUnKPZhEvY7fQ-ixM0bBoY2wcQg0?us…<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdrive.goo…> * Proposal teams will need to schedule additional meeting times, though these dedicated times in the spring schedule can help foster coordination and ties between collaborative proposals and activity in this space that is leveraging EMBRIO research. ________________________________ Purdue EMBRIO Faculty: SUMMER UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP (SURF)- Accepting project postings! Purdue’s SURF program<https://maillinks.purdue.edu/t/48863454/1704294751/89814806/0/1007625/?x=70…> invites faculty to mentor outstanding undergraduates in an 11-week paid summer research experience at the West Lafayette or Indianapolis campuses. By mentoring a SURF student, faculty help shape future researchers while contributing to student growth and professional development. EMBRIO covers the PI amount of the internship cost and a housing stipend for non-Purdue students (your department and college, depending on the agreement, kick in the other 2/3 of the cost) Please let Brent know if you submit an EMBRIO project and indicate under the Centers/Institutes checkboxes that the project is an EMBRIO project. Submit project postings here<https://maillinks.purdue.edu/t/48863454/1704294751/107443535/0/1007625/?x=a…> ________________________________ EMBRIO Data Management Data management training materials<https://www.purdue.edu/research/embrio/resources/data-management-training.p…> developed by Scott Bolton for uploading PURR pages, OMERO image data, and raw data to Data Depot are available on the Institute website. You can also contact Beatriz Borrelly ( bborrell(a)purdue.edu<mailto:bborrell@purdue.edu> ), who is serving part-time with EMBRIO as Data Management Specialist, for assistance with your EMBRIO projects data management. ________________________________ Chicago Cytoskeleton Meeting Friday May 1st, 2026 Loyola University Chicago’s Water Tower Campus The Spring edition of the Chicago Cytoskeleton Meeting<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.goo…> will take place on Friday May 1st, 2026 at Loyola University Chicago’s Water Tower Campus. The meeting will run from approximately 1 PM to 7 PM Central Time. This meeting will include a Keynote Lecture by Dr. Dyche Mullins<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmullinsla…> (UCSF), Trainee talks (see below), and a Poster session. A registration portal will be provided in the coming months with the option to present a poster. Trainee talks will be selected by the Steering Committee from a Lightning Talk Competition. Details can be found on the website<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.goo…> and submissions are due Monday, March 2nd. ________________________________ NSF seeks public input on its Fiscal Year (FY) 2026–2030 NSF Strategic Plan<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nsf.g…>: Responses are due no later than Jan. 27, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET. ________________________________ Brent T. Ladd, Senior Research Program Manager, EMBRIO Institute<https://www.purdue.edu/research/embrio/> Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University Office: Hall for Discovery Learning and Research, Ste. 203 207 S. Martin Jischke Drive West Lafayette, IN 47907 laddb(a)purdue.edu

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Announcements: Guest Speaker, Grant Proposal Teams, Upcoming Events, SURF Interns, Data Mngt materials and assistance
by Brent Thomas Ladd 21 Jan '26

21 Jan '26

[cid:aa8190c7-4196-4829-898f-9da90a9f62a7] Dear EMBRIOphytes, Several announcements and reminders (see further below for details on each): * This coming Monday at 3PM ET our Research Update meeting will host guest speaker Dr. Ondrej Maxian<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.nd.…>, Asst. Prof., Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics, Notre Dame. His research<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.nd.…> is about developing new mathematical tools to understand the mechanical structure of cells. * Catalyzing Small Teams for Grant Proposal Development: Everyone please share specific topics and proposal opportunities you are interested in collaborating with a small team through this three-question survey<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue.ca…>. (Trainees and Research Staff are encouraged to participate). Results will be complied and shared back out to the community as soon as possible. Thanks to those who have already done this. * At the start of our all-hands session on Monday, we will have a quick poll on dates and location about planning for our Y5 summer school and a joint symposium "Advancing Morphogenetic Biosciences and Bioengineering”. However, we welcome your further input using this brief online survey<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue.ca…> to capture your availability, plans and preferences, as well as input for training topics. * EMBRIO faculty at Purdue wishing to host a SURF student this summer, please post your research project(s) asap - and notify Brent (laddb(a)purdue.edu) as applicants window is open through early February. Submit project postings here<https://maillinks.purdue.edu/t/48863454/1704294751/107443535/0/1007625/?x=a…> * Data management training materials<https://www.purdue.edu/research/embrio/resources/data-management-training.p…> developed by Scott Bolton for uploading PURR pages, OMERO image data, and raw data to Data Depot are available on the Institute website. You can also contact Beatriz Borrelly ( bborrell(a)purdue.edu ) for assistance with data management. * Chicago Cytoskeleton Meeting<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.goo…> Spring Meeting will be Friday, May 1st, 2026. Trainees have an opportunity to present a lightning talk, along with a poster session. * NSF seeks public input on its Fiscal Year (FY) 2026–2030 NSF Strategic Plan<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nsf.g…>: Responses are due no later than Jan. 27, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET. ________________________________ EMBRIO All-Hands Research Seminar: Guest Presenter - 3PM, Monday, January 26 Dr. Ondrej Maxian<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.nd.…>, Asst. Prof., Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics, Notre Dame, will present "xxxxx" during our All-Hands Lab Research Updates meeting 3PM, Monday, January 26. A recent Chicago-Yen Fellow in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago (working primarily with Ed Munro<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmunrolab.…>), Ondrej completed his doctorate at New York University working with Aleksandar Donev<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcims.nyu.…> and Alex Mogilner<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcims.nyu.…>. His research<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.nd.…> program at Notre Dame is about developing new mathematical tools to understand the mechanical structure of cells. Further details about the Spring Semester Schedule for All-Hands Research Updates and Working Proposal Teams is below. ________________________________ Catalyzing Small Teams for Grant Proposal Development To best assist in supporting the desire for those interested in collaborating on new ideas and new proposals that leverage and remain connected with EMBRIO, and in organizing future proposal discussions, please: * Let us know the specific topics and proposal opportunities you are interested in collaborating with a small team through this three-question survey<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue.ca…>. (Trainees and Research Staff are encouraged to participate). Results will be complied and shared back out to the community. * Review and update your entries for interest in the current available proposal opportunities that align with EMBRIO collaborative teams [Proposals master spreadsheet<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdocs.goog…>] Feel free to reach out to Brent (laddb(a)purdue.edu) with additional comments and ideas. Our next scheduled Working Proposal Teams session is February 9th. ________________________________ We Need Your Input: Dates, Plans, Topics for EMBRIO 2026 Summer School & Joint Symposium Use this brief online poll to capture your availability, plans and preferences, as well as input for training topics: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bkIw8bHUboD9Qwu<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue.ca…> A joint EMBRIO BII NSF - Notre Dame (RECODE NSF) one day symposium and poster session has been proposed focused on "Advancing Morphogenetic Biosciences and Bioengineering”, coupled with a multi-day training at the intersection of AI-levered computational modeling, quantitative biology, and bioengineering (e.g. https://sai.nd.edu/<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsai.nd.ed…>). The Symposium will feature EMBRIO speakers, along with speakers from Notre Dame, and invited Key Notes. Proposed to be hosted at our partners at University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana, EMBRIO will organize and help provide transportation and lodging for Purdue members to attend, as well as reimburse travel for EMBRIO trainees from our partner institutions to participate. ________________________________ Spring Semester EMBRIO All-Hands Schedule: Mondays 3-4pm Biweekly We will continue with Mondays bi-weekly 3-4pm ET (calendar invites will be sent out soon. The intention this spring semester is to have one session a month dedicated to research thrust updates and one session a month dedicated to working proposal team(s) collaborating on new funding proposals that leverage EMBRIO (trainees are welcome to attend/participate in these sessions). * Dates for Research Thrust Updates will be 3PM ET on Jan 26, Feb 23, Mar 23, April 20, May18. * Zoom link for the research updates: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/92296822713?pwd=m8tGuX9zXUL2MnYguV8KlCa9w0Tj4j…<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue-ed…> * Schedule for the semester research talks: Jan 26 Feb 23 Mar 23 Apr 20 May 18 Guest Speaker: Ondrej Maxian * Staiger Lab * Iyer-Pascuzzi Lab * Mullins Lab * Deng Lab * Zartman Lab * Magana Lab * Gardner Lab * Kinzer-Ursem + Evans Labs * Dates for Working Proposal Teams will be 3-4PM ET on Jan 12, Feb 9, Mar 9, April 6, May 4. * Working teams will receive additional notifications and materials. * Zoom link for the meeting: Join Zoom Meeting https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/98340860035?pwd=QMR1WQF521J2G67ga7wcfoN9oSIbzY…<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue-ed…> * Please use the Proposals Master spreadsheet for coordinating interest and activity around a number of funding opportunities associated with EMBRIO. The spreadsheet and additional materials and notes will be posted on the EMBRIO Google Drive under EMBRIO Integrative Proposals folder: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ybkWSUnKPZhEvY7fQ-ixM0bBoY2wcQg0?us…<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdrive.goo…> * Proposal teams will need to schedule additional meeting times, though these dedicated times in the spring schedule can help foster coordination and ties between collaborative proposals and activity in this space that is leveraging EMBRIO research. ________________________________ Purdue EMBRIO Faculty: SUMMER UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP (SURF)- Accepting project postings! Purdue’s SURF program<https://maillinks.purdue.edu/t/48863454/1704294751/89814806/0/1007625/?x=70…> invites faculty to mentor outstanding undergraduates in an 11-week paid summer research experience at the West Lafayette or Indianapolis campuses. By mentoring a SURF student, faculty help shape future researchers while contributing to student growth and professional development. EMBRIO covers the PI amount of the internship cost and a housing stipend for non-Purdue students (your department and college, depending on the agreement, kick in the other 2/3 of the cost) Please let Brent know if you submit an EMBRIO project and indicate under the Centers/Institutes checkboxes that the project is an EMBRIO project. Submit project postings here<https://maillinks.purdue.edu/t/48863454/1704294751/107443535/0/1007625/?x=a…> ________________________________ EMBRIO Data Management Data management training materials<https://www.purdue.edu/research/embrio/resources/data-management-training.p…> developed by Scott Bolton for uploading PURR pages, OMERO image data, and raw data to Data Depot are available on the Institute website. You can also contact Beatriz Borrelly ( bborrell(a)purdue.edu ), who is serving part-time with EMBRIO as Data Management Specialist, for assistance with your EMBRIO projects data management. ________________________________ Chicago Cytoskeleton Meeting Friday May 1st, 2026 Loyola University Chicago’s Water Tower Campus The Spring edition of the Chicago Cytoskeleton Meeting<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.goo…> will take place on Friday May 1st, 2026 at Loyola University Chicago’s Water Tower Campus. The meeting will run from approximately 1 PM to 7 PM Central Time. This meeting will include a Keynote Lecture by Dr. Dyche Mullins<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmullinsla…> (UCSF), Trainee talks (see below), and a Poster session. A registration portal will be provided in the coming months with the option to present a poster. Trainee talks will be selected by the Steering Committee from a Lightning Talk Competition. Details can be found on the website<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.goo…> and submissions are due Monday, March 2nd. ________________________________ NSF seeks public input on its Fiscal Year (FY) 2026–2030 NSF Strategic Plan<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nsf.g…>: Responses are due no later than Jan. 27, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET. ________________________________ Brent T. Ladd, Senior Research Program Manager, EMBRIO Institute<https://www.purdue.edu/research/embrio/> Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University Office: Hall for Discovery Learning and Research, Ste. 203 207 S. Martin Jischke Drive West Lafayette, IN 47907 laddb(a)purdue.edu

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EMBRIO collabs toward new funding proposals: Investigators, Research Staff, and Trainees
by Brent Thomas Ladd 14 Jan '26

14 Jan '26

EMBRIO Investigators, Research Staff, and Trainees: Thanks to everyone who was able to join and participate in the open team proposals discussion on Monday afternoon. Several initial topics and ideas were generated [summary meeting notes and action steps<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdocs.goog…>]. To best assist in supporting the desire for those interested in collaborating on ideas and new proposals that leverage and remain connected with EMBRIO, and in organizing future proposal discussions, please: * Let us know the specific topics and proposal opportunities you are interested in collaborating with a small team through this three-question survey<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue.ca…>. (Trainees and Research Staff are encouraged to participate). Results will be complied and shared back out to the community. * Review and update your entries for interest in the current available proposal opportunities that align with EMBRIO collaborative teams [Proposals master spreadsheet<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdocs.goog…>] Feel free to reach out to me with additional comments and ideas. Our next scheduled Working Proposal Teams session is February 9th. Cheers, Brent

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Monday Announcements: poll for summer events, semester meeting schedules, SURF summer internship projects
by Brent Thomas Ladd 12 Jan '26

12 Jan '26

[cid:51990e0c-dcaf-44bb-90cc-fdcde33f68c3] Happy New Year, EMBRIO Members, Welcome back and best wishes to all for a positive start to the new semester. A few quick reminders (see below for details on each): * This is the last week to weigh in on initial dates and planning for our Y5 summer school and a joint symposium "Advancing Morphogenetic Biosciences and Bioengineering”. * Our spring semester all-hands schedule will continue biweekly, though will alternate between research thrust updates, and working proposal team sessions. The proposal discussion session opens at 3pm today. * EMBRIO faculty at Purdue wishing to host a SURF student this summer, please post your research project(s) asap, as applicants window is now open through early February. ________________________________ We Need Your Input: Dates, Plans, Topics for EMBRIO 2026 Summer School & Joint Symposium Use this brief online poll to capture your availability, plans and preferences, as well as input for training topics: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bkIw8bHUboD9Qwu<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue.ca…> A joint EMBRIO BII NSF - Notre Dame (RECODE NSF) one day symposium and poster session has been proposed focused on "Advancing Morphogenetic Biosciences and Bioengineering”, coupled with a multi-day training at the intersection of AI-levered computational modeling, quantitative biology, and bioengineering (e.g. https://sai.nd.edu/<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsai.nd.ed…>). The Symposium will feature EMBRIO speakers, along with speakers from Notre Dame, and invited Key Notes. Proposed to be hosted at our partners at University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana, EMBRIO will organize and help provide transportation and lodging for Purdue members to attend, as well as reimburse travel for EMBRIO trainees from our partner institutions to participate. ________________________________ Spring Semester EMBRIO All-Hands Schedule: Mondays 3-4pm Biweekly We will continue with Mondays bi-weekly 3-4pm ET (calendar invites will be sent out soon. The intention this spring semester is to have one session a month dedicated to research thrust updates and one session a month dedicated to working proposal team(s) collaborating on new funding proposals that leverage EMBRIO (trainees are welcome to attend/participate in these sessions). * Dates for Research Thrust Updates will be 3PM ET on Jan 26, Feb 23, Mar 23, April 20, May18. * Zoom link for the research updates: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/92296822713?pwd=m8tGuX9zXUL2MnYguV8KlCa9w0Tj4j…<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue-ed…> * Schedule for the semester research talks: Jan 26 Feb 23 Mar 23 Apr 20 May 18 Open TBD * Staiger Lab * Iyer-Pascuzzi Lab * Mullins Lab * Deng Lab * Zartman Lab * Magana Lab * Gardner Lab * Kinzer-Ursem + Evans Labs * Dates for Working Proposal Teams will be 3-4PM ET on Jan 12, Feb 9, Mar 9, April 6, May 4. * Working teams will receive additional notifications and materials. * Zoom link for the meeting: Join Zoom Meeting https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/98340860035?pwd=QMR1WQF521J2G67ga7wcfoN9oSIbzY…<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue-ed…> * Please use the Proposals Master spreadsheet for coordinating interest and activity around a number of funding opportunities associated with EMBRIO. The spreadsheet and additional materials and notes will be posted on the EMBRIO Google Drive under EMBRIO Integrative Proposals folder: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ybkWSUnKPZhEvY7fQ-ixM0bBoY2wcQg0?us…<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdrive.goo…> * Proposal teams will need to schedule additional meeting times, though these dedicated times in the spring schedule can help foster coordination and ties between collaborative proposals and activity in this space that is leveraging EMBRIO research. ________________________________ Purdue EMBRIO Faculty: SUMMER UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP (SURF)- Accepting project postings! Purdue’s SURF program<https://maillinks.purdue.edu/t/48863454/1704294751/89814806/0/1007625/?x=70…> invites faculty to mentor outstanding undergraduates in an 11-week paid summer research experience at the West Lafayette or Indianapolis campuses. By mentoring a SURF student, faculty help shape future researchers while contributing to student growth and professional development. EMBRIO covers the PI amount of the internship cost and a housing stipend for non-Purdue students (your department and college, depending on the agreement, kick in the other 2/3 of the cost) Please let Brent know if you submit an EMBRIO project and indicate under the Centers/Institutes checkboxes that the project is an EMBRIO project. Submit project postings here<https://maillinks.purdue.edu/t/48863454/1704294751/107443535/0/1007625/?x=a…> ________________________________ Brent T. Ladd, Senior Research Program Manager, EMBRIO Institute<https://www.purdue.edu/research/embrio/> Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University Office: Hall for Discovery Learning and Research, Ste. 203 207 S. Martin Jischke Drive West Lafayette, IN 47907 laddb(a)purdue.edu

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Announcements
by Brent Thomas Ladd 15 Dec '25

15 Dec '25

[cid:e0497c51-4ea6-40f5-aaf6-324477f23182] Dear EMBRIO Members, Best wishes for all involved in final exams and courses as your respective Fall semesters wrap up! Congrats to the team of EMBRIO members that organized, chaired, and presented an Integrative Cell and Developmental Systems Biology Mini-Symposium last week at CellBio 2025 in Philadelphia (see below). Don't forget to share your input, preferences, and availability for our annual summer events - quick online survey<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue.ca…> <https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue.ca…> (details below). A reminder that we won't meet this afternoon for All-Hands during finals (we have a focused proposal discussion happening this afternoon. Please use this Google spreadsheet<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdocs.goog…> for coordinating interest and activity around a number of funding opportunities associated with EMBRIO and/or contact Brent, laddb(a)purdue.edu .) We are balancing the spring semester All-Hands Lab sessions between research thrust updates and working proposal team sessions. Separate calendar invites for these sessions with dedicated Zoom links have been emailed out to the membership (more on this below). Purdue EMBRIO Faculty: SUMMER UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP (SURF) program is accepting faculty project postings details below. ________________________________ EMBRIO Mini-Symposium at American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB)<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linke…> Cell Bio 25 a Success The EMBRIO Mini-Symposium at Cell Bio25 was a great success with around 100 attendees and an eight member EMBRIO team involved. Thanks to the entire team for organizing, chairing, and presenting your cutting-edge research to the ASCB community! (and the team had the added bonus of touring the Mullins Lab at UPenn 🙂 ). [cid:2c72b96d-0b7b-4a5a-ba47-a4fbd9fb1778] EMBRIO Team at Cell Bio 25 (L-R): Greg Reeves, Mary Mullins, Bakary Samasa, Nissa Larson, Chang Ding, Linlin Li, Qing Deng, Jeremy Zartman EMBRIO Integrative Cell and Developmental Systems Biology Mini-Symposium @CellBio 2025 – An ASCB | EMBO Meeting December 6–10, 2025 | Philadelphia, PA Mary Mullins and Qing Deng<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linke…>, Symposium Chairs •Aggregation and DNA binding of Dorsal/NF-κB in early embryos — Gregory Reeves<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linke…> •Signal processing and robustness of the BMP network during zebrafish embryogenesis — Nissa Larson<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linke…> •Reactive Oxygen Species Counteract Zebrafish Wound Contraction and Promote Wound Healing — Chang Ding<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linke…> •Reverse engineering organ size and shape control through the integration of quantitative experiments and multi-scale computational modeling — Jeremiah Zartman<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linke…> •Investigating cytoskeletal and cellular dynamics during morphogenesis in the zebrafish — Bakary Samasa<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linke…> •AI-powered acceleration and parameter tuning for computational modeling — LINLIN LI<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linke…> ________________________________ Reminder: We Need Your Input: Dates, Plans, Topics for EMBRIO 2026 Summer School & Joint Symposium Use this brief online poll to capture your availability, plans and preferences, as well as input for training topics: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bkIw8bHUboD9Qwu<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue.ca…> A joint EMBRIO BII NSF - Notre Dame (RECODE NSF) one day symposium and poster session has been proposed focused on "Advancing Morphogenetic Biosciences and Bioengineering”, coupled with a multi-day training at the intersection of AI-levered computational modeling, quantitative biology, and bioengineering (e.g. https://sai.nd.edu/<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsai.nd.ed…>). The Symposium will feature EMBRIO speakers, along with speakers from Notre Dame, and invited Key Notes. Proposed to be hosted at our partners at University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana, EMBRIO will organize and help provide transportation and lodging for Purdue members to attend, as well as reimburse travel for EMBRIO trainees from our partner institutions to participate. ________________________________ Reminder: Spring Semester EMBRIO All-Hands Schedule: Mondays 3-4pm Biweekly We will continue with Mondays bi-weekly 3-4pm ET (calendar invites will be sent out soon. The intention this spring semester is to have one session a month dedicated to research thrust updates and one session a month dedicated to working proposal team(s) collaborating on new funding proposals that leverage EMBRIO (trainees are welcome to attend/participate in these sessions). * Dates for Research Thrust Updates will be Jan 26, Feb 23, Mar 23, April 20, May18. * Brent will be in touch with Thrust leaders and trainees for scheduling these times. * Dates for Working Proposal Teams will be Jan 12, Feb 9, Mar 9, April 6, May 4. * Working teams will receive additional notifications and materials. * Please use this Google spreadsheet<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdocs.goog…> for coordinating interest and activity around a number of funding opportunities associated with EMBRIO. * Proposal teams will have additional meeting times, though these dedicated times in the spring schedule can help foster coordination and ties between collaborative proposals and activity in this space that is leveraging EMBRIO research. ________________________________ Purdue EMBRIO Faculty: SUMMER UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP (SURF)- Accepting project postings! Purdue’s SURF program<https://maillinks.purdue.edu/t/48863454/1704294751/89814806/0/1007625/?x=70…> invites faculty to mentor outstanding undergraduates in an 11-week paid summer research experience at the West Lafayette or Indianapolis campuses. By mentoring a SURF student, faculty help shape future researchers while contributing to student growth and professional development. EMBRIO covers the PI amount of the internship cost and a housing stipend for non-Purdue students (your department and college, depending on the agreement, kick in the other 2/3 of the cost) Please let Brent know if you submit an EMBRIO project and indicate under the Centers/Institutes checkboxes that the project is an EMBRIO project. Submit project postings here<https://maillinks.purdue.edu/t/48863454/1704294751/107443535/0/1007625/?x=a…> ________________________________ Brent T. Ladd, Senior Research Program Manager, EMBRIO Institute<https://www.purdue.edu/research/embrio/> Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University Office: Hall for Discovery Learning and Research, Ste. 203 207 S. Martin Jischke Drive West Lafayette, IN 47907 laddb(a)purdue.edu

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End of Week Reminders
by Brent Thomas Ladd 12 Dec '25

12 Dec '25

Dear EMBRIOnic People, A few reminders prior to the end of the semester: Please share your input, preferences, and availability for our annual summer events - quick online survey<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue.ca…> <https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue.ca…> (details below). We won't meet on Monday for All-Hands during finals week. We are balancing the spring semester All-Hands Lab sessions between research thrust updates and working proposal team sessions Please use this Google spreadsheet<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdocs.goog…> for coordinating interest and activity around a number of funding opportunities associated with EMBRIO). Separate calendar invites for these sessions with dedicated Zoom links have been emailed out to the membership (more on this below). We Need Your Input: Dates, Plans, Topics for EMBRIO 2026 Summer School & Joint Symposium Use this brief online poll to capture your availability, plans and preferences, as well as input for training topics: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bkIw8bHUboD9Qwu<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue.ca…> A joint EMBRIO BII NSF - Notre Dame (RECODE NSF) one day symposium and poster session has been proposed focused on "Advancing Morphogenetic Biosciences and Bioengineering”, coupled with a multi-day training at the intersection of AI-levered computational modeling, quantitative biology, and bioengineering (e.g. https://sai.nd.edu/<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsai.nd.ed…>). The Symposium will feature EMBRIO speakers, along with speakers from Notre Dame, and invited Key Notes. Proposed to be hosted at our partners at University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana, EMBRIO will organize and help provide transportation and lodging for Purdue members to attend, as well as reimburse travel for EMBRIO trainees from our partner institutions to participate. Spring Semester EMBRIO All-Hands Schedule: Mondays 3-4pm Biweekly We will continue with Mondays bi-weekly 3-4pm ET (calendar invites will be sent out soon. The intention this spring semester is to have one session a month dedicated to research thrust updates and one session a month dedicated to working proposal team(s) collaborating on new funding proposals that leverage EMBRIO (trainees are welcome to attend/participate in these sessions). * Dates for Research Thrust Updates will be Jan 26, Feb 23, Mar 23, April 20, May18. * Brent will be in touch with Thrust leaders and trainees for scheduling these times. * Dates for Working Proposal Teams will be Jan 12, Feb 9, Mar 9, April 6, May 4. * Working teams will receive additional notifications and materials. * Please use this Google spreadsheet<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdocs.goog…> for coordinating interest and activity around a number of funding opportunities associated with EMBRIO. * Proposal teams will have additional meeting times, though these dedicated times in the spring schedule can help foster coordination and ties between collaborative proposals and activity in this space that is leveraging EMBRIO research. Brent T. Ladd, Senior Research Program Manager, EMBRIO Institute<https://www.purdue.edu/research/embrio/> Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University Office: Hall for Discovery Learning and Research, Ste. 203 207 S. Martin Jischke Drive West Lafayette, IN 47907 laddb(a)purdue.edu

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Announcements: Input Poll, Spring Semester schedule
by Brent Thomas Ladd 08 Dec '25

08 Dec '25

[cid:1f1e373f-23ea-4d8c-9acf-c49a4e80201f] Dear EMBRIO Members, We Need Your Input: Dates, Plans, Topics for EMBRIO 2026 Summer School & Joint Symposium Use this brief online poll to capture your availability, plans and preferences, as well as input for training topics: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bkIw8bHUboD9Qwu<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue.ca…> A joint EMBRIO BII NSF - Notre Dame (RECODE NSF) one day symposium and poster session has been proposed focused on "Advancing Morphogenetic Biosciences and Bioengineering”, coupled with a multi-day training at the intersection of AI-levered computational modeling, quantitative biology, and bioengineering (e.g. https://sai.nd.edu/<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsai.nd.ed…>). The Symposium will feature EMBRIO speakers, along with speakers from Notre Dame, and invited Key Notes. Proposed to be hosted at our partners at University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana, EMBRIO will organize and help provide transportation and lodging for Purdue members to attend, as well as reimburse travel for EMBRIO trainees from our partner institutions to participate. Spring Semester EMBRIO All-Hands Schedule: Mondays 3-4pm Biweekly We will continue with Mondays bi-weekly 3-4pm ET (calendar invites will be sent out soon. The intention this spring semester is to have one session a month dedicated to research thrust updates and one session a month dedicated to working proposal team(s) collaborating on new funding proposals that leverage EMBRIO (trainees are welcome to attend/participate in these sessions). * Dates for Research Thrust Updates will be Jan 26, Feb 23, Mar 23, April 20, May18. * Brent will be in touch with Thrust leaders and trainees for scheduling these times. * Dates for Working Proposal Teams will be Jan 12, Feb 9, Mar 9, April 6, May 4. * Working teams will receive additional notifications and materials. * Please use this Google spreadsheet<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdocs.goog…> for coordinating interest and activity around a number of funding opportunities associated with EMBRIO. * Proposal teams will have additional meeting times, though these dedicated times in the spring schedule can help foster coordination and ties between collaborative proposals and activity in this space that is leveraging EMBRIO research. Brent T. Ladd, Senior Research Program Manager, EMBRIO Institute<https://www.purdue.edu/research/embrio/> Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University Office: Hall for Discovery Learning and Research, Ste. 203 207 S. Martin Jischke Drive West Lafayette, IN 47907 laddb(a)purdue.edu

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Weekly Update: Science Signaling Paper Makes the Cover and the News; Input Poll for Summer Events; EMBRIO Mini-Symposium at ACSB Cell Bio
by Brent Thomas Ladd 03 Dec '25

03 Dec '25

[cid:4d7c7446-db9a-462a-8270-23f2ccfac277] Dear EMBRIOphytes, This week, we highlight a new paper in Science Signaling born from collaborations between the Staiger, Pienaar, Umulis, and Iyer-Pascuzzi labs, and well wishes to the EMBRIO team presenting a mini-symposium at the ASCB Cell Bio 2025 conference starting this weekend. Please take a few minutes this week to provide your input and preferences<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue.ca…> for a joint EMBRIO - Notre Dame NSF RECODE Symposium and Summer School next year (more details below and at the online poll). ________________________________ 🚨 New Publication Alert 🚨 [cid:d4b1bb23-d5f2-49ed-b23a-70570c1a89b6] EMBRIO’s interdisciplinary team investigating plant defense has an exciting paper out in Science Signaling (story featured in Purdue News<https://ag.purdue.edu/news/2025/12/plant-first-responder-cells-warn-neighbo…> and made the cover 🎉). “Local traveling waves of cytosolic Ca2+ elicited by defense signals or wounding are propagated by distinct mechanisms in Arabidopsis”. The paper unpacks discoveries advancing the field, that distinct patterns of Ca²⁺ waves in plants may contribute to stimulus-specific responses to mechanical vs. chemical perturbation, as well as single-cell vs. multicellular level responses. Mathematical modeling recapitulated the features demonstrated in the experimental studies. Read the paper<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdoi.org%2…> Zhang, W., Kumar, N., Helwig, J., Hoerter, A., Iyer-Pascuzzi, A.S., Umulis, D., Pienaar, E., and Staiger, C.J. (2025). Local traveling waves of cytosolic calcium elicited by defense signals or wounding are propagated by distinct mechanisms. Sci. Signal.18, 915. DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.adw2270<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdoi.org%2…> Huge thanks to all co-authors, collaborators, and funding teams who helped bring this to fruition: Weiwei Zhang<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linke…>, Nilay Kumar<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linke…>, Jessica Helwig<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linke…>, Alexis Hoerter<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linke…>, Anjali Iyer-Pascuzzi<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linke…>, David Umulis<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linke…>, Elsje Pienaar<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linke…>, Chris Staiger<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linke…> [cid:0a5603c0-31a2-4a5a-aabe-83fd9bd1b5a6] Caption: Purdue University’s Weiwei Zhang, senior research scientist in botany and plant pathology and a member of the Emergent Mechanisms in Biology of Robustness Integration and Organization (EMBRIO) Institute, prepares a sample for imaging at a confocal microscope. Researchers at Purdue found that a subset of epidermal cells in plant leaves serves as early responders to chemical cues from bacterial pathogens and communicate this information to neighbors through a local traveling wave of calcium ions. The properties of this local wave suggest that distinct mechanisms are used by plants to communicate specific types of pathogen attack. 🔬 Key Insights •Rather than a uniform “on/off” Ca²⁺ spike, spatially and temporally structured waves were observed — a sign that cells encode more information in Ca²⁺ dynamics than previously thought. •These Ca²⁺ waves are tied to activation of downstream signaling pathways that modulate immune response, offering a refined view of how innate immunity may be fine-tuned at the single-cell level. •The new findings provide a framework for rethinking how immune cells interpret and respond to threats — not simply by the magnitude of Ca²⁺ increase, but by the pattern of Ca²⁺ dynamics. 🌍 Why It Matters This work expands the conceptual underpinnings of immune signaling in plants by showing that spatiotemporal patterns of Ca²⁺ flux — not just overall levels — carry important functional information, we open the door to new ways of understanding immune regulation, and potentially, new therapeutic approaches that exploit Ca²⁺ dynamics. ________________________________ We Need Your Input: Dates, Plans, Topics for EMBRIO 2026 Summer School & Joint Symposium A joint EMBRIO BII NSF - Notre Dame (RECODE NSF) one day symposium and poster session has been proposed focused on "Advancing Morphogenetic Biosciences and Bioengineering”, coupled with a multi-day training at the intersection of AI-levered computational modeling, quantitative biology, and bioengineering (e.g. https://sai.nd.edu/<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsai.nd.ed…>). The Symposium will feature EMBRIO speakers, along with speakers from Notre Dame, and invited Key Notes. Proposed to be hosted at our partners at University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana, EMBRIO will organize and help provide transportation and lodging for Purdue members to attend, as well as reimburse travel for EMBRIO trainees from our partner institutions to participate. Please use this brief online poll to capture your availability, plans and preferences, as well as input for training topics: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bkIw8bHUboD9Qwu<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue.ca…> ________________________________ EMBRIO Mini-Symposium: Integrative Cell and Developmental Systems Biology - December 6-10 ASCB CellBio 2025<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ascb.…> EMBRIO Members have organized a mini-symposium at this year's ASCB Cell Bio Conference. This is the list of presenters and topics being presented: • Aggregation and DNA binding of Dorsal/NF-κB in early embryos - Gregory Reeves • Signal processing and robustness of the BMP network during zebrafish embryogenesis - Nissa Larson • Reactive Oxygen Species Counteract Zebrafish Wound Contraction and Promote Wound Healing - Chang Ding • Reverse engineering organ size and shape control through the integration of quantitative experiments and multi-scale computational modeling - Jeremiah Zartman • Investigating cytoskeletal and cellular dynamics during morphogenesis in the zebrafish- Bakary Samasa • AI-powered Acceleration and Parameter Tuning for Computational Modeling - Linlin Li Brent T. Ladd, Senior Research Program Manager, EMBRIO Institute<https://www.purdue.edu/research/embrio/> Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University Office: Hall for Discovery Learning and Research, Ste. 203 207 S. Martin Jischke Drive West Lafayette, IN 47907 laddb(a)purdue.edu

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