Himmat Singh Bakshi

@himmatbakshi

PhD @ Annunziata Lab | Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn EvoDevo | Echinoderms (just cucumbers...) | Fluo Cells EuroMarine OYSTER member | Indian from Sri Lanka in Italy

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Himmat Singh Bakshi@himmatbakshi· 10d

Getting back into art by combining it with my work. Here is a scientifically inaccurate, but visually "surreal", Ouroboros-inspired sketch of a sea cucumber consuming its eviscerated organs (basic annotations for my grandparents). Just a casual Saturday night activity! #Echinoderms #EvoDevo #DevBio

A detailed graphite pencil drawing depicting an anatomical sketch of a sea cucumber (Holothuria tubulosa). The sea cucumber is curved into a semi-circle, mimicking an Ouroboros. Its mouth and buccal tentacles at the bottom-left are positioned as if about to consume its own internal organs, which have been eviscerated from its anus on the right. Handwritten text labels point out anatomical features including the dorsal and ventral sides, papillae, tube feet, anus, buccal tentacles, mouth, gonads, digestive tract, and respiratory trees.

Himmat Singh Bakshi@himmatbakshi· 29d

Back from sampling with 13 more H. tubulosa individuals! We're entering peak spawning season, so collection and culturing efforts are ramping up for upcoming experiments in the Annunziata Lab. (Also found a wild H. forskali expelling its white Cuvierian tubules!) #Echinoderms #EvoDevo #DevBio

Holding a sea cucumber (Holothuria tubulosa) individual after collection at Castel dell'Ovo in Naples, Italy.

My super cool crocs on a platform in the water close to where we collect the sea cucumbers.

Thirteen new sea cucumbers (Holothuria tubulosa) resting on the sandy bottom of a tank stored at the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn in Naples, Italy.

A sea cucumber, Holothuria forskali, that was collected and released back into the water. The white sticky substance on its body are Cuvierian tubules: specialised, sticky defense organs. These are expelled out of the anus when threatened.

Himmat Singh Bakshi@himmatbakshi· Jul 2

Sea cucumbers have arrived at SZN! From Castel dell'Ovo, Naples (what a view)! Spawning season is here: the Annunziata Lab is ready to start culturing. Thanks to Salvatore D'Aniello and Romain Sabroux for collecting them. I even helped scrub rocks for sea spiders! #Echinoderms #EvoDevo #DevBio

Scenic view of the sampling site (foreground) at Castel dell'Ovo (left) in Naples, with the city skyline in the background.

Seven sea cucumbers (Holothuria tubulosa) resting on the sandy bottom of a tank stored at the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn.

Himmat Singh Bakshi@himmatbakshi· May 8

Update on our lab mascots! 🌊🥒 Obsessed with these juveniles from Castel dell'Ovo (Gulf of Naples). Love that their bodies are still translucent, it's incredible watching them under the scope. Question for echino experts: any tips on IDing juvenile holothurians? #Echinoderms #EvoDevo #Microscopy

Himmat Singh Bakshi@himmatbakshi· Apr 8

Escaping the confocal room for a bit to spend the rest of the week in the world of electron microscopy, organised by @em-hoc.bsky.social and @embl.org. This is totally new to me, so I'm looking forward to the course and seeing how I can apply this to my sea cucumber larvae! #Microscopy #EvoDevo

A photo of my lanyard next to the official poster for the EMHOC 2nd edition poster at Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn.

Himmat Singh Bakshi@himmatbakshi· Jan 12

Getting the hang of #MicroscopeMonday 🔬 Meet Polly - a ~2-month-old Holothuria poli juvenile with transparent tissues and floral-patterned ossicles. I work on H. tubulosa, but this tiny H. poli turned up in a lab mate's samples and is now our lab mascot - at least until a tubulosa appears 👀

Brightfield image of a ~2-month-old Holothuria poli juvenile taken using an inverted microscope, showing developing buccal tentacles, transparent tissues, and ossicles arranged in a floral-like pattern.

Himmat Singh Bakshi@himmatbakshi· Dec 1

First #MicroscopeMonday contribution! Early auricularia larva of Holothuria tubulosa (4 days post-fertilisation, dpf) shown in brightfield (left) and with DAPI-stained nuclei (right, blue). Same larva. Same view. Bonus: this was also my first DAPI stain, imaged on an inverted microscope.

Two side-by-side microscope images of the same early auricularia larva (Holothuria tubulosa): brightfield on the left and DAPI-stained nuclei in blue on the right, with a 0.1 mm scale bar.

Himmat Singh Bakshi@himmatbakshi· Nov 7

Does this count as a #FluorescenceFriday post? Gave my first PhD presentation to everyone at @szndohrn.bsky.social. Felt great to introduce my project with @rossellaannunziata.bsky.social on fluorescent cells in sea cucumbers. Enjoying the #EvoDevo and SZN communities. Looking forward to the rest!

Me (on the left) starting to introduce and present the PhD project I've just started at the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn in Naples, Italy, on fluorescent cells in sea cucumbers.

Himmat Singh Bakshi@himmatbakshi· Oct 9

First day of school

Me standing in front of the aquarium entrance at the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn in Naples, Italy, ready for my first official day as a PhD student

Himmat Singh Bakshi@himmatbakshi· Mar 8

*tries to turn camera trap off but fails miserably*

Me trying to turn off a camera trap during its maintenance, but clearly failing to do so.

Himmat Singh Bakshi@himmatbakshi· Feb 1

Moyen-Bafing is raising the standards for a typical working day...

Sunset landscape in Moyen-Bafing National Park, Guinea.

Himmat Singh Bakshi@himmatbakshi· Jan 19

Making my way downtown...

Driving through remote, rural villages in the highlands of Guinea.

Himmat Singh Bakshi@himmatbakshi· Dec 16

Hi! I'm Himmat, an MSc grad from QMUL. My research explored how sublethal thermal stress and maternal effects drive fitness trade-offs in loggerhead hatchlings. Super interested in epigenetics, looking for a PhD in eco-evolutionary biology, love connecting with fellow scientists!