Hypothesis Fund

The winners of the AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Audio Gold Award, including Science Friday's Flora Lichtman for "The Leap."

Congratulations to the 2025 winners of the international @aaas.org Kavli Science Journalism Awards! Read the full list of this year's winners—including journalists from Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom: bit.ly/4oCwZtq

Congrats @flichtman.bsky.social, @annetteheist.bsky.social, @pvangay.bsky.social, & David Sanford on the award! Great to partner with @scifri.bsky.social to share The Leap w/ the world!
Here’s to celebrating science not just as a discipline but as a daring & profoundly human endeavor. 4/4

This award recognizes this spirit of curiosity & courage, and we’re so grateful to the scientists who shared their stories with us, as well as everyone who listened, shared, and found inspiration in our podcast. 3/

When we created The Leap, we wanted to dive into the journeys of visionary scientists (like Nobel Laureate Katalin Kariko, volcanologist Richie Robertson, & biochemist Virginia Man-Lee Yee) and unpack the risks they took, the setbacks they faced, and their lasting impacts. 💫 2/

🎉 Big news! We've been awarded the 2025 @aaas.org Kavli Science Journalism Gold Award for The Leap, our audio documentary that features the scientists behind some of the biggest breakthroughs of our time. sjawards.aaas.org/news/2025-aa... 1/

It was lovely speaking to @harmitmalik.bsky.social for @dmmjournal.bsky.social Infectious Disease Special Issue. We chatted about his work on host-viral evolution, the importance of blue-skies research and his approach to creating a supportive lab environment
journals.biologists.com/dmm/article/...

The ocean’s got rhythm — and so do its viruses.
With the Bermuda Atlantic Time-Series (BATS), we dove deep — every 4 to 12 hours — to see how viral populations swing through day and night.

Dipti was initially drawn to Archaea for their highly unusual metabolism. "In reflecting on my scientific trajectory, I realize how unique it has been & now take pride in being the ambassador for archaea to the broader scientific community." 4/4

Shown in this image, the frozen methane bubbles🫧 are produced by the microorganisms that she studies in her lab. She shares: "This image beautifully captures the dramatic impact that these invisible microorganisms can have on our planet and on us too." 3/

The oxygen-free environments that methanogens thrive in are also what makes them technically challenging to work with. But Dipti found a way💡. By pioneering the development of genome editing tools for methanogens, she's unlocked a completely new way to study these microbes. 2/

🤩Say hi to #HFScout Dipti Nayak, whose pioneering work on methanogenic archaea (a special group of ancient microbes) is transforming how we understand early life on Earth 🌎 and informing new strategies to address climate change. 1/

Roseanna shares, "My career has been transformed by having taken this risk and I am happier than ever as a scientist."💫 We're excited for Roseanna to support even more bold science exploration as a Scout! 4/4

She found thought partners & mentors to help her break into the #synbio world, & leaned on her novel expertise in colloid physics. This bold move led to the development of the first ever whole-cell model of E. coli, where biomolecules are represented individually & explicitly. 3/

After a successful career in materials science, Roseanna took a big leap: she brought her expertise to the very different world of *living* biological cells🦠. This required mastering a new discipline, entering a new scientific community, & assembling a specialized team. 2/

👋Meet #HFScout Roseanna Zia, whose research on colloids (small particles suspended in fluid) has reshaped our understanding of complex fluids, soft matter physics, and the physics of life itself. 1/

How is our strategy different? We empower our diverse network of #HFScouts to identify and recommend especially innovative, #highrisk #highreward research projects for support via catalytic seed grants. Learn more about all of the talented scientist Scouts: www.hypothesisfund.org/scouts 3/3

Each Scout brings a unique lens and perspective on the frontiers of scientific discovery. They broaden our reach to support outstanding scientists with Hypothesis Fund seed grants across the fields of physics, materials, cell biology, and microbiology. 2/

📣Exciting day at the @HypothesisFund! We’re thrilled to recognize two new brilliant scientist Scouts: Roseanna Zia and Dipti Nayak! 1/

UC San Diego Engineer Awarded Hypothesis Fund Grant to Explore Aging in Brain and Heart Cells Why do some of the body’s most important cells — like those in the brain and heart — age, even though they never divide? Chemical and nano engineering professor Zeinab Jahed has received a seed grant ...

Congrats to @zjahed.bsky.social on receiving a seed grant from the @hypothesisfund.bsky.social to explore mechanisms of aging in cells that don't divide, like those in the brain and heart. Her work could shed new light on the progression of many age-related diseases. today.ucsd.edu/story/uc-san...

5/ Awardee Fangyuan Ding is mapping how brain cells rewrite their own instructions in real time, one molecule at a time🤯. Her work could lead to new strategies for tackling neurological diseases & cancer.
🥳 Congrats Dr. Ding! @ucirvine.bsky.social
🙏 #HFScout @kamariza.bsky.social

4/ #DYK characterizing polymeric materials is really tough? Awardee Reika Katsumata is developing a groundbreaking method to change that--paving the way to understand a wide range of materials w/ far-reaching impact!
🍾 Congrats Dr. Katsumata! @umassamherst.bsky.social
🙏 #HFScout Shelly Peyton

3/ Awardee @zjahed.bsky.social is searching for signs of aging in the nuclear membrane: DNA's 🧬 protective barrier. Her research could reveal key mechanisms involved in the progression of many age-related diseases.
🎉 Congrats Dr. Jahed! @jacobsschool.bsky.social
🙏 #HFScout Jeanne Stachowiak

2/ Awardee @herdelineardona.bsky.social takes inspiration from plants🌿 to develop materials using light☀️. Her project may solve longstanding challenges in materials science, w/ impacts on human health & the world around us.
🥳 Congrats Dr. Ardoña! @ucirvine.bsky.social
🙏 #HFScout Shelly Peyton

🌟New awards alert!✨ We're thrilled to announce new awards in the diverse disciplines of materials science, aging, and RNA biology. Meet these talented scientists and hear from the Scouts who recommended them below!

Learn more: bit.ly/HFAwardees 1/

Stanford researchers receive NIH High-Risk, High-Reward grants This year’s awardees are researching cancer treatments, age-related disease, and much more.

Big congrats to HF Awardee @sciencekyle.bsky.social for being awarded the prestigious NIH DP2 award to continue his work on engineering immune cells to tackle cancer. So incredibly proud to have supported the early stages of this groundbreaking science -- go Kyle! 🥳
news.stanford.edu/stories/2025...

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

🚨 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

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...)

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...

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-...

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...

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...