By Kevin Gruener, Doctoral Candidate, CNRS-IGFL. When Anton Dohrn founded the first zoological marine station of the world in Naples, he wanted to offer a space for scientists from all around the world to conduct their research. His vision lives on 150 years later,...
A key highlight of the ZooCELL journey is the opportunity for our doctoral candidates (DCs) to take part in secondments across the network. During these periods, they temporarily relocate to partner institutions, where they gain hands-on training, learn new...
Jena has long been a place where science, curiosity, and creativity meet. At the venerable Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena (FSU Jena), the institution where the 19th century biologist Ernst Haeckel studied and later taught, twelve enthusiastic graduate students gathered from 15th to 17th September 2025 for the first ZooCELL Graduate School.
By Asli Kilic, Doctoral candidate, Arendt lab-EMBL. The very first ZooCELL practical course took place at the Centre of Organismal Studies (COS) in Heidelberg, Germany, from February 3rd to 14th, 2025. This hands-on course on "Animal Diversity and EM Sample...
The inaugural ZooCELL kick-off meeting convened in the scenic setting of Ischia, Italy, from April 12th to 14th, 2024. This in-person gathering brought together ZooCELL's Principal Investigators for a series of engaging sessions and discussions. The meeting started...
From cell biology to exploring the evolution of sensory cells, Marie is combining advanced imaging and single-cell approaches to uncover the cellular architecture of a tiny flatworm larva.
Read on to meet Marie and discover her research!
Who inspired you to become a scientist?
“The science teachers I had growing up…
From natural history and marine life to reconstructing events from half a billion years ago, get to know Max, his research and his passion for sharing evolutionary biology beyond academia.
1️⃣ What first sparked your interest in evolutionary biology?
“As a teenager I loved books about natural history, …
Founded in 1826 in the heart of London, UCL is a leading multidisciplinary university, bringing together a diverse community of staff and students from around the world.
From its beginnings, UCL has challenged conventions. It was the first university in England to welcome students regardless of religion and the first to admit women on equal terms with men.
The ZooCELL team at UCL, led by Max Telford, is based in the Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment (GEE).
Kevin completed a BSc in Biology and a MSc in Zoology at the University of Innsbruck, where he also worked at the electron microscopy facility and tutored courses in zoology, developmental biology, and image analysis.
Now, as part of ZooCELL, he is investigating how the crustacean Parhyale hawaiensis regenerates its limbs, one cell at a time.
🧵 Read on to get to know Kevin.
In this thread, Mathilde shares what first drew her to EvoDevo, the questions that drive her research, and what she enjoys most about mentoring the next generation of scientists.
🧵👇 1️⃣ What first drew you to EvoDevo?
What sparked his interest in EvoDevo? What keeps him curious after all these years? And what does he hope to discover next?
🧵 Read on to get to know Michalis through his own words.
The IGFL is an institute of the ENS de Lyon, the CNRS and Université Lyon. It brings together 12 research teams focusing on the interfaces of development, physiology and evolution. The IGFL is home to the Development, Regeneration and Evolution team, led by Michalis...
Olga's path to ZooCELL has been anything but linear. After nearly 30 years in diverse research roles, she joined us as a DC, bringing together expertise in electron microscopy, molecular biology, and genomics to study how the sea urchin nervous system develops and...
In this Q&A, Ina shares how she discovered EvoDevo, the big questions driving their research and her passion for mentoring the next generation of scientists. * How did you first become interested in EvoDevo? With a background in biochemistry and molecular biology,...
Founded in 1872 by the German zoologist Anton Dohrn, the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn is one of Europe's oldest and most prestigious marine research institutes. Located on the Gulf of Naples, it was created with a visionary goal: to provide scientists from around...