Howard Hughes Medical Institute

01/25/2026

Biosensors help scientists understand the brain & body like never before, but building one can take years. Researchers Alison Tebo & Srinivas Turaga at HHMI’s Janelia Research Campus want to change that. “It shouldn’t take you years to make a good biosensor; it should take months,” says Tebo. By harnessing AI, the team is building a tool that will speed up & simplify biosensor development for scientists everywhere — which has the potential to accelerate scientific discoveries. Their work is part of AI@HHMI, our $500 million effort to embed AI across the scientific process. hhmi.news/4rdhvNt

01/22/2026

Science teacher & HHMI BioInteractive Ambassador Samuel Washington Jr. draws students in with more than textbooks. “At first, kids love science — bugs, their bodies, the outdoors — but if you don’t tap into that natural curiosity, they lose it. To me, that’s the ticket to bringing education forward." Learn more about the exceptional teachers who make up our Ambassador community via BioInteractive and NEA Today's feature on Washington Jr.

New York's Samuel Washington Jr. blends culture, curiosity, and bowling to inspire students and break barriers in education.

01/20/2026

Created using fluorescence microscopy, this stunning image of an animal cell showcases thin, web-like fibers called vimentin — a protein that provides mechanical stability to cells and tissues, despite a single vimentin being ~7,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair.

📸: Andy Moore, HHMI’s Janelia Research Campus

01/18/2026

Driven by an experience familiar to many — watching parents age — HHMI Hanna Gray Fellow Melanie McReynolds wants to answer a fundamental question: How can we age healthier? The key may lie in better understanding NAD+ (a molecule that helps cells communicate & convert food into energy), and how its levels decline as we grow older. Via the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology: bit.ly/45tDuHB.

01/16/2026

Beyond the breakthrough: In 2013, HHMI Investigator Kevan Shokat unlocked the famously "undruggable" K-Ras protein, a discovery still driving new treatments for cancers with notoriously poor survival rates. But Shokat's lab isn't done yet, because while many patients initially benefit from these treatments, most eventually develop drug resistance. Today, Shokat & team are charting new therapies to outmaneuver drug resistance, and to explore whether treatments tailored to specific cancer mutations could also be used to prevent them: hhmi.news/3LwWaz5.

12/31/2025

NYE fireworks < neurons expressing iGluSnFR3!

Developed at our Janelia Research Campus, iGluSnFR3 is a fluorescent sensor designed to rapidly detect & image glutamate — our brains' main chemical messenger — allowing researchers to observe (dazzling) neural communication as it happens. 🎆

Credit: Abhi Aggarwal and collaborators

12/27/2025

"We’re filling in a piece of the puzzle for something really fundamental that affects so many things.” — HHMI Investigator Michelle Wang, Cornell University

When gene expression goes wrong, it can cause abnormal cellular growth, cancer development, and other disorders. Wang and collaborators have discovered that nucleosomes — long thought to be obstacles to gene expression — actually help the process work more smoothly. Read more: bit.ly/4q9xA6e

12/24/2025

Our kind of annual tradition: Glucose + Tollens’ reagent + festive swirling = a chemical reaction that creates a thin layer of silver, loads of seasonal cheer, & ornaments worthy of being passed down for ... well, a few weeks at least. Happy holidays to all those who celebrate! ✨

12/21/2025

Rising undergrad junior or senior? Last chance to apply! Applications close TOMORROW, Dec. 22, 11:59pm EST.

Our 9-week summer research experience includes hands-on lab work, a generous stipend, & mentorship from some of the nation’s top scientists. Learn more & apply at bit.ly/CechFellows.

The Cech Fellows Program is a paid, nine-week summer research experience empowering the next generation of scientific leaders.

12/20/2025

"Watching my students who didn’t really know if they wanted to do research turn around & fall in love with research … that’s been the most meaningful." — HHMI Postdoc Scientist Brea Manuel, '25 program mentor.

Rising junior or senior? Applications for our '26 Cech Fellows Program close 11:59pm EST Dec. 22! ⏰❗bit.ly/CechFellows "

12/19/2025

HHMI Investigator Alexander Rudensky and collaborators at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center have solved a 20-year mystery among scientists: Why are high levels of regulatory T cells linked to better survival in colorectal cancer, when they’re usually linked to poor outcomes in most other cancers? The researchers ID'd two subtypes of regulatory T cells in colorectal cancer — one that supports tumor growth, and one that restrains it. These findings could help improve immunotherapy treatment for patients with colorectal *and* other types of cancer. Learn more:

A new MSK study finds that in colorectal cancer, not all regulatory T cells are created equal. One subtype suppresses cancer growth while another aids it. The findings could help improve immunotherapy treatment for the majority of patients with colorectal cancer, and potentially for other cancers.

12/17/2025

"I feel being part of their life, being part of their career, is just priceless.” — HHMI Investigator Xin Chen, '25 Summer Undergraduate Research Program mentor

Rising junior or senior? Applications close 11:59pm Dec. 22! This summer, become a Cech Fellow & explore a career in biological or biomedical research alongside some of the nation's top scientists: bit.ly/CechFellows.