Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Hypothesis Fund @hypothesisfund.bsky.social · 15d

Big congrats to #HFScout @sullivan-lab.bsky.social for receiving an ASM award for his contributions to environmental research! 🎉

ASM @asm.org · Sep 8

ASM is pleased to announce the 2026 ASM Awards & Prize Program recipients—leaders whose research, teaching and innovation are advancing the microbial sciences. Join us in congratulating the recipients! Learn more about the honorees and awards: asm.social/2zX

List of the names of the 2026 ASM Awards and Prize recipients

Reposted by Hypothesis Fund

Sullivan Lab at OSU @sullivan-lab.bsky.social · 26d

🚨 New tool for viral genomics!

Meet CLAE: a high-fidelity Nanopore sequencing strategy that pushes accuracy to Q30, boosts throughput >800 Mb/100 pores, and recovers full-length viral genomes from complex samples 🌊🦠

👉 [https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202505978]

#viromics #nanopore #genomics

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Hypothesis Fund @hypothesisfund.bsky.social · 27d

While on an expedition in the Arctic❄️, #HFScout @prakashlab.bsky.social made a fascinating discovery about ice diatoms. Check out his new manuscript!

(To learn more about Manu's quest to see every organism on earth, revisit his episode of The Leap: www.sciencefriday.com/segments/man...)

Qing (Andie) Zhang @zqing.bsky.social · 28d

Did you know tiny algae can "skate" within Arctic sea ice? ⛸️ Our new study in @pnas.org reveals the secret life of ice diatoms: they are actively gliding to navigate the ice! This adds a new dimension to the sea ice ecosystem, revealing an active, dynamic ecological niche. @prakashlab.bsky.social

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Hypothesis Fund @hypothesisfund.bsky.social · Aug 27

We turned 3⃣ this year! Our founder & CEO David Sanford reflects on the incredible science we've enabled, and the people who made it possible. Read about our journey:
www.linkedin.com/pulse/three-...

Three Years on the Frontiers of Science

The past year has been one of significant growth and validation for the Hypothesis Fund. As we reached our third anniversary earlier this summer, we're celebrating the incredible science we’ve support...

www.linkedin.com

Reposted by Hypothesis Fund

Elaine Luo @oceanmicrobes.bsky.social · Aug 19

I am excited to share that I received an award from the National Science Foundation!

I'm considering candidates for up to two postdoc positions - reach out by Aug 28th for full consideration.

sites.google.com/uncc.edu/mic...

Luo Lab - Microbial Ecology - join

The Luo Lab is accepting applications for funded Postdoc and PhD opportunities. Details below. Lab members will have access to state-of-the art wet lab, and computing, and sequencing resources, inclu...

sites.google.com

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Reposted by Hypothesis Fund

Columbia University's Zuckerman Institute @zuckermanbrain.bsky.social · Aug 19

Congratulations to @bendeskylab.com on being awarded a @hypothesisfund.bsky.social seed grant! He’s asking why some of an animal’s genes are switched on and others off, depending on which parent the genes came from. And how evolution shapes this phenomenon, called genetic imprinting.
🧠🧬

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Reposted by Hypothesis Fund

Laura Gunn @laura-gunn.bsky.social · Aug 19

Incredibly honored to receive support from the Hypothesis Fund!

Hypothesis Fund @hypothesisfund.bsky.social · Aug 19

🤩 New awards announcement! ✨ We're excited to announce our latest awardees who are tackling bold research that spans immunology, plant biology, and genetics. Learn more about these talented scientists below!

Discover our full portfolio: bit.ly/HFAwardees 1/

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Hypothesis Fund @hypothesisfund.bsky.social · Aug 19

5/ #DYK that DNA🧬 from viruses can be found in human genomes? Awardee Nicholas Parrish aims to uncover how these endogenous herpesviruses can interact with the immune system to cause neurological disease 🧠.
🥳 Congrats Dr. Parrish! @dukesurgery.bsky.social
🙏 #HFScout Wilton Williams

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Hypothesis Fund @hypothesisfund.bsky.social · Aug 19

4/ Awardee @bendeskylab.com investigates how genetic conflict between paternal + maternal genes 👫 ('genomic imprinting') evolved & why this epigenetic phenomenon leads to developmental incompatibilities.
🎉 Congrats Dr. Bendesky! @zuckermanbrain.bsky.social
🙏 #HFScout @harmitmalik.bsky.social

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Hypothesis Fund @hypothesisfund.bsky.social · Aug 19

3/ Awardee @laura-gunn.bsky.social is tapping into the powerful carbon-fixing abilities of a special plant🌱 to improve photosynthesis. Her work has enormous potential to transform how we sustainably grow food 🌎.
🍾 Congrats Dr. Gunn! @cornellcals.bsky.social
🙏 #HFScout Devaki Bhaya

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Hypothesis Fund @hypothesisfund.bsky.social · Aug 19

2/ Did adaptive immune cells learn to cooperate before the modern immune system existed? Awardee @affinityborn.bsky.social may redefine what's essential for immune memory & enable alternative immune architectures.
🥳 Congrats Dr. Wesemann! @harvardmed.bsky.social
🙏 #HFScout @victora.bsky.social

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Hypothesis Fund @hypothesisfund.bsky.social · Aug 19

🤩 New awards announcement! ✨ We're excited to announce our latest awardees who are tackling bold research that spans immunology, plant biology, and genetics. Learn more about these talented scientists below!

Discover our full portfolio: bit.ly/HFAwardees 1/

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Reposted by Hypothesis Fund

Bianca Jones Marlin, PhD @bjmarlin.bsky.social · Aug 18

🚨New Marlin Lab publication✨ app.jove.com/v/67112/prof...

In this #JoVE, we share a method for extracting meaningful, uninstructed behavioral readouts from constrained video recording environments (🧵1/2)

Led @brimcr.bsky.social & @AmirLawen, a @zuckermanbrain.bsky.social collab w/ @ItamarKahn.

Profiling Maternal Behavior Responses During Whole-Brain Imaging

Recent advancements in whole-brain imaging tools have enabled neuroscientists to investigate how coordinated brain activity processes external cues, ...

app.jove.com

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Reposted by Hypothesis Fund

Chi-Min Ho @cmholab.bsky.social · Aug 18

Our #CryoET story on how a top antimalarial drug candidate perturbs the native malarial translation machinery is out @natsmb.nature.com🥳 rdcu.be/eBbrH

A massive team effort led by @leonieanton.bsky.social Meseret Haile & Wenjing Cheng in collaboration with Jerzy Dziekan & the Alan Cowman! #TeamTomo

Integrated structural biology of the native malarial translation machinery and its inhibition by an antimalarial drug

Nature Structural & Molecular Biology - Integrated structural biology approach leveraging in situ cryo-electron tomography reveals molecular details of the native malarial translation...

rdcu.be

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Hypothesis Fund @hypothesisfund.bsky.social · Aug 12

Big congrats to Hypothesis Fund Awardee @bjmarlin.bsky.social! We're proud early supporters of her research on transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, and can't wait to see what she'll discover next! Go Bianca! 🌟

Columbia University's Zuckerman Institute @zuckermanbrain.bsky.social · Aug 12

Congratulations to @bjmarlin.bsky.social on being named a 2025 Pew Biomedical Scholar! Her research dives deep into what is innate, what is learned and what is chosen by biology to be passed down from generation to generation. 🧠 🌟
www.pew.org/en/projects/...

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Reposted by Hypothesis Fund

A. Sánchez Alvarado @planaria1.bsky.social · Aug 6

Evolution’s eye game is wild, but mollusks take it to another level

CRISPR in apple snails gives us a new model to dissect how nature rebuilds complex organs like the camera-type eyes we humans possess

It turns out Evolution doesn’t just innovate, it rewinds, remixes, & regenerates

rdcu.be/ezw0t

A genetically tractable non-vertebrate system to study complete camera-type eye regeneration

Nature Communications - Accorsi et al. show that the apple snail Pomacea canaliculata has eyes similar to humans and can fully regenerate them. They then developed genetic tools to establish these...

url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com

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Reposted by Hypothesis Fund

Elizabeth Sibert, PhD @elizabethsibert.bsky.social · Jul 22

So excited to participate in this panel discussing the history and future of #PalaeoPERCS and the amazing, inclusive, and absolutely brilliant international community of early career pal(a)eo scientists! Please join us at 15:00 UTC today for this really important discussion!

Pal(a)eoPERCS @palaeopercs.bsky.social · Jul 19

Next week at #PalaeoPERCS we will be hosting a special seminar celebrating our 5th anniversary. We'll be joined by our past & current committee members. We'd be glad if you could also be a part of this celebration & collective reflection.
Sign up here: paleopercs.com/participate/
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Hypothesis Fund @hypothesisfund.bsky.social · Jul 17

5/5 Awardee @chuchuzhang.bsky.social explores how different body states (eg, pregnancy) may change what neurons sense & how they respond. Her work may lead to new ways to address nausea associated w/ pregnancy🤰 & chemo.
🍾Congrats Dr. Zhang! @dgsomucla.bsky.social
🙏 #HFScout @pipethero.bsky.social

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Hypothesis Fund @hypothesisfund.bsky.social · Jul 17

4/ How do the most abundant photosynthetic organisms on 🌎 combat viral infection? Awardee Alex Meeske's project may lead to discoveries in bacterial warfare important for ecological challenges, such as harmful algal blooms. 🎉Congrats Dr. Meeske! @UW
🙏 #HFScout Joseph Mougous

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Hypothesis Fund @hypothesisfund.bsky.social · Jul 17

3/ Using a novel approach to study regulatory proteins at scale, Awardee Christian Cuba Samaniego hypothesizes that time⏰ is a key factor in cellular reprogramming-a process critical to tissue repair & regeneration.
🎉Congrats Dr. Cuba Samaniego! @scsatcmu.bsky.social
🙏#HFScout @drkhaynes.bsky.social

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Hypothesis Fund @hypothesisfund.bsky.social · Jul 17

2/ Awardee Eva Dyer is investigating the computational rules that shape how 🧠 cells process information. Her non-invasive approach may open the door for future research on difficult-to-study brain regions or disorders.
🥳Congrats Dr. Dyer! @pennengineering.bsky.social
🙏 #HFScout Kay Tye

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Hypothesis Fund @hypothesisfund.bsky.social · Jul 17

📣 Bold science alert! We're thrilled to announce our newest awardees whose projects span neuroscience, bacteriology, & synthetic biology. Join us in celebrating them as we showcase their research projects below!

Meet all of our awardees: bit.ly/HFAwardees. 1/

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Reposted by Hypothesis Fund

Science Friday @scifri.bsky.social · Jul 16

In the final episode of The Leap, Oceanographer Victoria Orphan (center) and her colleagues embark on one of the deepest science dives ever. Then, things start going awry.

Explore *the entire* 10-part series now, from @hypothesisfund.bsky.social and SciFri: buff.ly/5lNhOmV

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Hypothesis Fund @hypothesisfund.bsky.social · Jul 14

🌊New Episode 🌊 @caltech.edu oceanographer & @hypothesisfund.bsky.social scientific advisor Victoria Orphan was in the #Alvin submersible on her deepest dive yet... when the sub started misbehaving. A deep sea dive you’ll never forget on The Leap👇

Science Friday @scifri.bsky.social · Jul 14

Oceanographer Victoria Orphan was living her dream on the Alvin submersible—until the dive took a turn.

In the final episode of "The Leap," what happens when a dive to the bottom of the sea doesn’t go as planned? By @hypothesisfund.bsky.social + SciFri: buff.ly/ltALRPB

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Hypothesis Fund @hypothesisfund.bsky.social · Jul 9

@drkhaynes.bsky.social isn’t trying to fit in. Like when she was invited to a scientific conference & decided to bring a 3’x4’ stretched canvas & live-paint her poster🎨. Listen to her story on The Leap (HF + @scifri.bsky.social): www.sciencefriday.com/segments/eve...

📷: @phylogenomics.bsky.social

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