Two recent studies from the MCB lab of Nick Bellono will be featured on the cover of Cell this month, highlighting the lab’s ongoing exploration of unconventional model systems. The September 4 octopus cover image and September 18 sea slug illustration will showcase research led by MCB graduate students, including Rebecka Sepela’s microbiome–octopus interaction study and Corey Allard’s (Allard Lab) photosynthetic sea slug paper. Both projects were previously spotlighted in depth on the MCB website — read more about Rebecka’s microbiome paper and Corey’s slug paper.
“Highlighting these studies about octopuses and photosynthetic slugs amongst the broad readership at Cell demonstrates how our natural world can inspire curiosity and wonder, features of being a scientist that are particularly important these days,” says Bellono. The lead authors, Rebecka and Corey, encompass this spirit as well as anyone, and I’m happy to see their work recognized.”
The cover artwork also reflects the Bellono Lab’s close-knit creative community. The September 4 cover image was created by Lily Soucy, daughter of Ed Soucy, head neuroengineer within the NeuroTechnology Core. Lily has been contributing artwork to Bellono Lab publications for years, combining scientific precision with artistic vision. The September 18 cover features the photography of Anik Grearson, a former Bellono Lab research assistant who is now pursuing a PhD at UC Santa Cruz and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. Grearson’s striking images of sea creatures have graced multiple publications and journal covers, including this latest recognition.
With these back-to-back covers, the Bellono Lab continues to demonstrate how curiosity-driven research — and the artistry that helps communicate it — can capture imaginations both within and beyond the scientific community.
