Congratulations to Camila Vazquez Echegaray, postdoc in the Pereira Lab for winning first prize in the very first WCMM Fusion 2025 competition! Her exceptional art piece, entitled "Life Juxtaposition", captivated the audience and emerged as the favourite among 21 talented competitors in the exhibition. A well-deserved recognition for her creativity and talent!
The story behind
This image was captured during a project where we were trying to understand if a specific protein, GATA2, had a detrimental function during mitosis to ‘mark’ cells to become blood stem cells. We showed that blood is not generated when GATA2 is removed from mitotic DNA. This brings new insights into the mechanisms of cell identity establishment, for studying blood diseases and treatments.
"Life is a constant change, where cells evolve with a raged need for more. And on the way they explore all the boundaries of shapes, colors, flavors and experiences. In the midst of this mess is when cells find meaning and sense, redefining their identity amid the juxtapositions that choices may present. After all, that’s life."