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.
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
Interior of a glass greenhouse at Mount Holyoke College, photographed by HHMI Investigator Zachary Lippman. A lush central display table features a carpet of bright green grass flanked by purple and white pansies, with tiered rows of blooming spring flowers receding toward the far end — including white and yellow daffodils, pink and white hyacinths, orange and red tulips, and silvery ornamental foliage. Natural light streams through the glass roof panels, illuminating the vibrant, densely planted floral arrangement. Orange daffodils are visible in the foreground corners.
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
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.
A tiny mouse lemur with large, yellow eyes peeks out of a hole in a tree against a green forest canopy.
"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.
Huda Zoghbi in her lab in Houston talking with another researcher
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
Nancy Lurie Marks Prize for Autism Research Huda Y. Zoghbi HHMI Investigator Baylor College of Medicine
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.
The Brain Prize 2026 David Ginty HHMI Investigator Harvard Medical School
Thrilled to see #HHMIInvestigator — & now 2026 @brainprize.org winner — David Ginty recognized by The Lundbeck Foundation for his pioneering work on the cellular architecture of touch & pain, which paved the way for a new generation of targeted pain therapies: bit.ly/4sbowiN.
Blood cells circulating in the head of a fruit fly.
Face of a fruit fly that helped #HHMIInvestigator Amita Sehgal and team uncover how sleep acts as a critical "cellular housekeeper," keeping our neurons healthy (and so much more) — findings that could drive a better understanding of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s: bit.ly/3ZKNFnK.
What appears to be a dazzling, cosmic, rainbow-hued spiderweb against a black background.
🕸️Spider web or cell’s internal structure? This network of actin filaments — captured by #HHMIInvestigator Xiaowei Zhuang —was imaged using super-resolution STORM microscopy, showing details far beyond a standard microscope. Colors indicate depth: blues/purples closer, greens/yellows farther.
David Clapham in a lab
After 50 years in science, former #HHMIInvestigator David Clapham’s advice is simple: “You have to see problem-solving as fun.” From training with Nobel laureates to deepening our understanding of ion channels & leading at HHMI, he retires with a lasting legacy: hhmi.news/3O3kYji.
SciShow Field Trips with HHMI Investigator Beth Stevens
What if the answers to Alzheimer’s & schizophrenia lie in glia, not neurons? Join “SciShow Field Trips” & our own Tangled Bank Studios inside #HHMIInvestigator Beth Stevens' lab to see how these long-ignored brain cells may help us better understand neurological diseases: bit.ly/4kjqU3R.
A lymph node from a mouse with allergies. Cells (yellow) react to allergens and become antibody-producing cells (red). These antibodies, known as IgE, are the cause of most allergies in humans.
Kids who grow up in biodiverse environments tend to have fewer allergies—& now we know why. #HHMIInvestigator Ruslan Medzhitov & co have found early exposure to diverse microbes creates broad immune memory, & an antibody that helps block allergic reactions later in life: bit.ly/4rGC59h.
