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The Rinaldin group uses quantitative biology approaches to understand how cellular structures form and adapt during the development of multicellular organisms.
Across all scales, multicellular systems are highly organized. Molecules, biochemical activities, and cells interact to generate emergent structures that collectively enable life to function. These organizational processes are clearly observed in embryonic development, where from a single egg, molecules self-organize into cells that become tissues, and ultimately organs. How does the organization of the cellular machinery emerge and adapt to achieve robust yet flexible development? To address this question, our group uses an interdisciplinary approach that integrates physical and biochemical techniques. We use eggs and embryos of X. laevis frogs and zebrafish as model systems. We build on comparative biology with further organisms to understand how developmental programs evolve and how the underlying cellular machinery adapts to maintain cellular homeostasis across species.
Many embryos start their development consisting of a shared cytoplasm where multiple nuclei coexist, a multinucleated state. This state lacks cellular membranes, requiring therefore different mechanisms to separate the cell content. We have for example recently discovered that properties of growth of microtubule asters define the boundaries, stability, and organization strategies of compartments in the cytoplasm.
Across biology, there is an evolutionary drive towards multicellularity, yet at the same time multicellularity is often “lost” in diseases (cancer, liver diseases, etc…) and tissue formation, and multicellular tissues become multinucleated. We are interested in uncovering the mechanistic principles that govern these transitions and ultimately learn how to control them to prevent disease. We focus our investigation on the microtubule cytoskeleton and cell membrane, structures critical for cytoplasmic and cellular organization.
In zebrafish embryonic development, most tissues are organized as multicellular structures, but certain regions form multinucleated states that support key processes such as axis specification and heart formation. How do the distinct organizational properties of multinucleated versus multicellular states affect signaling and morphogenesis? We aim to understand how embryos exploit both architectures to achieve robust and adaptable patterning.
Rinaldin M, Kickuth A, Lamson A, Dalton B, Xu Y, Mejstřík P, Di Talia S, Brugués J
Download|2026
Xu Y, Chao A, Rinaldin M, Kickuth A, Brugués J, Di Talia S
Download|2025
Rinaldin M, Fonda P, Giomi L, Kraft DJ
Download|2020
Melissa Rinaldin is a physicist by training, interested in understanding how biological organization emerges and how it shapes cellular and developmental function. During her PhD at Leiden University, she investigated how membrane geometry and composition influence lipid domain formation. In her postdoc, she studied cytoplasmic organization in early development, focusing on the microtubule cytoskeleton and cell cycle oscillator. She will establish her group at the Hubrecht Institute in April 2026.
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One PhD position and several Master’s internships are available for students enthusiastic about understanding fundamental cell and developmental biology processes. A technician position is open for a biological scientist interested in supporting the team in the biochemical and animal work. We also welcome applications from self-funded PhD students and postdocs and we support fellowship applications to national and international programs. If you are interested in joining our group, please get in touch with Melissa Rinaldin (m.rinaldin@hubrecht.eu).
