HHMI - Howard Hughes Medical Institue

Janelia scientists have developed a new way to track neural activity. The technique can target specific brain cells and relies on dyes that are brighter and more stable than those currently used.

HHMI has awarded grants to 44 doctoral adviser-student pairs to improve faculty mentoring skills, support new scientific leaders, and foster diversity and inclusion in science.

Rather than relying on optics, the microscopy system offers a chemically encoded way to map biomolecules’ relative positions.

HHMI's third competition for the Inclusive Excellence initiative will award grants to up to 30 schools to help increase their capacity to include students of diverse backgrounds in science. Pre-proposal due January 14, 2020.

A new structural analysis of four norovirus strains reveals that the virus’s shell varies in size and molecular arrangement – a surprise finding that could help scientists developing vaccines. 

By studying the effects of flu viruses on individual cells, scientists have shown how viral mutation can affect the outcome of infection. 

Cas13 enzyme defends bacteria from DNA viruses by targeting the host cell’s RNA. Until now, the strategy has never been observed in bacteria.  

In most organisms, 13 genes crucial to energy production reside in the mitochondria, the power plants of the cell. Now, scientists have figured out how fruit flies prevent errors from building up in those genes – a long-standing question in reproductive biology. 

Scientists have identified a plant hormone, beta-cyclocitral, that makes tomato and rice plant roots grow faster and branch more. The hormone could help farmers enhance crop plant growth.