Clusters of comets coming for you? ☄️ Not quite. This timelapse captures something far smaller: an animal's kidney cells dividing, imaged with confocal microscopy. The glowing orange traces each cell's internal transportation network, reorganizing & splitting as cells divide. 📸: Andy Moore

Beyond thrilled to welcome our inaugural cohort of #CechFellows — 176 talented undergrads who will spend 9 weeks this summer contributing to real scientific discovery alongside leading HHMI scientists across the country, & at our Janelia Research Campus! hhmi.news/4dBq7tb

Celebrating #HHMIInvestigators Michael Elowitz (Caltech) & Yang Dan (Emeriti), recognized for their incredible contributions to research as newly elected Fellows of the @royalsociety.org! bit.ly/4nPHaLs

By "eavesdropping" on the dreaming brain, #HHMIInvestigator Massimo Scanziani's lab discovered something remarkable: During REM sleep, the brain runs an internal model of the world, simulating the consequences of actions w/no input from the outside world: bit.ly/3RwRXhI.

You asked, we answered — this time for our united #FreemanHrabowski Scholars and #HannaGray Fellows programs. A warm welcome into who's eligible, how the programs connect, and more, from our very own Science Program team members Mary Bonds & Lucy Corcoran. Applications open 11/3! bit.ly/fhs26 🧪

Dravet syndrome is a rare, often fatal form of childhood epilepsy. Exciting new research from #HHMIInvestigator David Liu & collaborators found that a single dose of base editing can correct its underlying mutation in mice, reducing seizures & extending survival: bit.ly/4nLvIAM.

"How can I help keep all people healthy, all around the world?" The question that sparked #HannaGray Fellow Tulika Singh's research now fuels her quest to learn which antibodies destroy viruses best, & how the body saves them as "memories" that can reactivate against the next infection.

These dazzling neurons belong to a fruit fly. Confocal microscopy images of them were taken & combined by researchers at our Janelia Research Campus like pieces of a puzzle to build a rough map of the ventral nerve cord, which coordinates walking, flying, & reflex.

This could change everything (about how scientists study learning): New research from Sr. Group Leader Josh Dudman's lab at our Janelia Research Campus found that counter to long-held assumptions, bigger rewards actually *speed up* learning thanks to sustained dopamine surges: hhmi.news/43noNnK.

bNAbs are a promising HIV treatment, but the virus is skilled at escaping them. #HHMIInvestigator Paul Bieniasz & colleagues @rockefeller.edu have built the most comprehensive view yet of how HIV-1 develops resistance — a step toward matching individual patients to the right therapy: bit.ly/3RCCi08

Our paid, Presidential Fellows Program offers the chance to work directly w/leadership across science, AI, finance, strategy, comms, & more while helping to shape real decisions. Open to both outstanding recent graduates & those with advanced degrees — apply now! bit.ly/4nwUi8f. 🧪

A new AI algorithm from #FreemanHrabowski Scholar David Van Valen & @caltech.edu colleagues speeds up image analysis & enables tracking of millions of cells across many conditions, helping overcome a longtime bottleneck for scientists: bit.ly/4cYe9cV.

Meet NovoTags, a new class of fluorescent imaging probes that combines AI-driven protein design from #HHMIInvestigator David Baker w/ ultra-bright dyes from Janelia’s Luke Lavis, enabling scientists to watch dozens of proteins inside a cell at once — something current tools can't do: bit.ly/4noBb06

This mesmerizing timelapse captures the nonstop motion inside an animal cell. Red/orange streaks are the growing ends of microtubules, tiny “highways” that can rapidly assemble and disassemble to move proteins & other molecules within the cell. 📸: Andy Moore, HHMI’s Janelia Research Campus

A new gene-editing strategy from #HHMIInvestigator Michel Nussenzweig's lab at @rockefeller.edu could teach the immune system to produce its own therapeutic antibodies. Successful so far in mice, the approach may lead to durable treatments for HIV, cancer, metabolic disease, & more: bit.ly/4tkQvfo.

Nematodes follow their noses (er, sensory organs) just like we do — toward smells they love, away from those they don't. #HHMIInvestigator Steven Flavell & collaborators have now mapped this process neuron by neuron, giving a rare look at how brains turn sensation into behavior: bit.ly/3RcNeBp.

You asked, we answered: Sr. Science Program Coordinator Adrielle Munger talks through applicants’ top-5 #GilliamFellows questions, from eligibility to what’s new for ‘26. 2nd- or 3rd-year PhD student in the biological or biomedical sciences? Applications open 9/1! bit.ly/Gilliam26 🧪

What looks like a kaleidoscope is actually living cells dividing in real time. 🌈 These intestinal epithelial cells were grown from an organoid, and the colors? Not just beautiful — they're depth-coded: blues and purples are closer, while yellows are farther away. 📸: Matthew Tyska, @vanderbilt.edu

The power of science, community, curiosity, & love — all in under 2 minutes. (Oh, & sea cucumbers.) Meet #GilliamFellow Julienn Torres-Rodriguez, who’s got a message for all potential '26 Gilliam applicants: "Don't miss it. Capisce?" Applications open 9/1! bit.ly/4qQArRh 🧪

This colorful tapestry isn't in a gallery — it's inside you! (Congrats.) Meet the extracellular matrix (ECM). Red/orange waves = ECM molecules; blue ovals = nuclei. Captured by Antonio Fiore & Kayvon Pedram at our Janelia Research Campus, who developed a way to image the network without damage.

What's better than one #HHMIInvestigator being elected to the @nasonline.org? Ten! Meet the newest members, recognized by their peers for distinguished, ongoing contributions to original research: bit.ly/4cCxRuv.

Hibernation is a biological superpower that can extend lifespan. What if we could harness its benefits? #FreemanHrabowski Scholar Siniša Hrvatin has ID'd the neural trigger that induces key features of the state, which could transform how we treat disease, injury, & aging: bit.ly/41Uzw8F.

Join us in celebrating #HHMIInvestigators Olga Boudker, William Jacobs (Emeriti), Michael Shadlen, Kim Orth & @leslievosshall.bsky.social (also HHMI VP & Chief Scientific Officer), all elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences for their leadership & excellence in science! bit.ly/4vQerd2

Your skin remembers — & that memory can drive flare-ups in conditions like psoriasis. #HHMIInvestigators Elaine Fuchs & Dana Pe’er ID'd the genetic sequences that lock in “inflammatory memories,” opening a potential path to break the cycle of inflammation: bit.ly/4ts8MZj.

Cystic fibrosis was once a devastating diagnosis for ~40K Americans. An incredible new film co-produced by @tangledbankhhmi.bsky.social, @usatoday.com, & Des Moines Register looks at #HHMIInvestigator Emeriti Mike Welsh's pursuit of a groundbreaking treatment & the lives it saved: bit.ly/4cCkvOI.

Who knew the somewhat disconcerting, forgotten-fruit mold in your fridge could look this … beautiful? Behold Aspergillus fungus, imaged via confocal microscopy. The tube-like structures form the fungus’ main body, & the flower-like structures house tiny spores for reproduction. 📸: Igor Siwanowicz

Scientists just discovered new "controllers" of the brain's most elite security checkpoint. Jiefu Li & team at our Janelia Research Campus have ID'd proteins that help open & close the blood-brain barrier — a step toward treating Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, & more: hhmi.news/4mkrDT2.

The kind of stable, sustained support that can transform a career: Our #FreemanHrabowski Scholars Program offers early career faculty up to $10M over 10 years, plus salary & benefits. Postdoc? This year's competition has a program for you, too. Applications open 11/3! bit.ly/4tFKifj

Celebrating #HHMIInvestigator Stuart Orkin, honored with the Breakthrough Prize for revolutionary research that's led to new treatments for sickle cell disease & other blood disorders, changing the lives of millions. He shares the prize with Swee Lay Thein of the NIH: hhmi.news/3Ql1LL1.

#HHMIInvestigators Eric Gouaux & Michael Rosen are using AI to turn a powerful cellular imaging tool into a molecular detective, revealing hidden molecular details in cryo-ET images to better understand how cellular structures work, & how they may malfunction: bit.ly/47Q5u9v.

Stunning new landmark study from #HHMIInvestigator David Reich & team @harvardmed.bsky.social lets us watch human evolution in real time across 10,000 years, & what ~16,000 ancient genomes reveal is striking: Natural selection didn't stop when civilization began — it sped up: bit.ly/4ep7uJI.

“Being a #GilliamFellow has been the most life-changing experience of my career. The impact goes far beyond funding." A powerful letter to this year's potential applicants, from current Fellow Denethi Wijegunawardana. Read the full text on our Instagram, & bookmark 9/1 to apply! bit.ly/4sDHjlS

Scientific publishing needs to change. HHMI President Erin O'Shea and Bodo Stern argue that the incentives are misaligned. Researchers should be evaluated on what they choose to share, not what journals select. Proud that HHMI @hhmi-science.bsky.social is leading the way. Pre-Print: bit.ly/4sDCCsu

Rural science educators are among the most resourceful teachers in the country—& they deserve world-class support. Proud to announce a new partnership between the National Rural Education Association & HHMI's BioInteractive to bring free resources to rural educators across the US: hhmi.news/4cpco6U

What if injectable “mini livers” could help sustain people w/liver failure? New research from #HHMIInvestigator Sangeeta Bhatia’s lab @mit.edu showed success in an animal model — pointing to potential new therapies for 1000s of people who may not receive or be eligible for transplants bit.ly/3NGwMIp

30 seconds of life as a #GilliamFellow, thanks to the 19 cohort members who attended our March Science Meeting alongside ~70 additional HHMI scientists. Potential applicant? Imagine yourself here, and mark Sept. 1 on your calendar to apply!

Mapping how neurons connect across the brain is one of neuroscience’s biggest challenges. MouseLight (a Janelia Research Campus project) is building a dataset of fully traced neurons — available to researchers everywhere, & helping to reveal how brain circuits work & what goes wrong in disease.

A long-standing mystery, resolved — & it could help fight drought & food scarcity. #HHMIInvestigator Zachary Lippman & colleagues uncovered ancient plant DNA (some ~400M+ yrs old) & ID'd 2.3M “genetic switches” across 284 species, offering a stunning new lens on the evolution of life: bit.ly/47QjgZq

Celebrating five (yes, 5!) #HHMIInvestigators named to the '25 class of @aaas.org Fellows — a distinction recognizing those work advances science & its impact on society. Please join us in congratulating David Baker, Michael Laub, Christopher Lima, David Pagliarini, & Gabriel Victora: bit.ly/4sAt81M

Rare opportunity to lead AI adoption at HHMI! The Claude Enablement Lead will work across our organization to support teams, scientists, and labs while building standards, training, and real-world use cases: bit.ly/4dejsWf. 🧪

Get lost in the unexpected beauty of a developing zebrafish eye. These incredible 3D images are possible thanks to #HHMIInvestigator & Janelia Sr. Fellow Eric Betzig, who developed a microscopy technique combining two imaging approaches — including one used by astronomers.

"Patience, curiosity, strategy, & help from a very cute friend." By investigating a heart rhythm disorder in mouse lemurs — Earth’s tiniest primate — #HHMIInvestigator Mark Krasnow uncovered the unexpected role magnesium plays in human heart health and disease: hhmi.news/3P9d9sP.

New work from #HHMIInvestigator Huda Zoghbi & colleagues points to a promising new treatment strategy for Rett syndrome, a rare disorder that affects brain development in infants & children, primarily girls: bit.ly/3Np4Ng9. @bcmhouston.bsky.social | Texas Children’s Hospital

Beautiful, & built for discovery. These next-gen fluorescent dyes (developed by the Lavis Lab at our Janelia Research Campus) are brighter, more photostable, & more versatile — advancing how scientists visualize biology inside cells.

No-cost workshop opportunities for grad students, postdocs, & trainees! Our Janelia Research Campus is accepting applications for 3 specialized, intensive workshops with presentation & networking opportunities. Accommodations, meals, & travel expenses covered: bit.ly/4roghP6. 🧪

Millions live w/ chronic pain & little relief. #HannaGray Fellow @shanmeltzer.bsky.social#HannaGray& team's new map of the spinal cord — built cell-by-cell — provides insights into how pain-signals travel, & will be openly available to the science community to help speed new pain treatments hhmi.news/4u1eIsJ

Celebrating #HHMIInvestigator Huda Zoghbi, recognized by the Lurie Autism Institute for her ground-breaking discovery that mutations in the MECP2 gene cause Rett syndrome (an autism-related neurodevelopmental disorder) — work that continues to transform autism research today: bit.ly/4sFhNx6.

Congrats to #FreemanHrabowski Scholar Corina Amor Vegas & #HannaGray Fellow Marissa Scavuzzo, both among this year's MIND Prize winners! Recognizing early-to-mid-career scientists, the award honors those with innovative ideas that advance neurodegeneration research: bit.ly/46VrlMh.

Second- or third-year PhD student in biological or biomedical sciences? Get ready — applications for our #GilliamFellows Program open Sept. 1! Robust research support, incredible scientific community, & tailored professional development that can transform a PhD journey. 🧪 bit.ly/4bjdTmr

A new electronic implant system created by #FreemanHrabowski Scholar @juanalvarezdom.bsky.social & colleagues helps lab-grown pancreatic cells mature & function properly, providing a potential new pathway to replace pancreatic tissue damaged by diabetes: bit.ly/4b16OHn.