1. Exploring plant-bacteria symbiosis

Paco Guerra-Garcia, a Ph.D. student in the lab of Assistant Investigator Siva Sankari, Ph.D., published a forum article in Trends in Microbiology. The article explored the current understanding of how small proteins produced by certain legumes transform soil bacteria into symbiotic partners for nitrogen fixation.

2. New insights into development and cancer progression

Postgraduate Researcher Emma Moore Zajic, Ph.D., a former Ph.D. student from the lab of Investigator Paul Trainor, Ph.D., published original research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study found a new mechanism for how migratory embryonic stem cells first mobilize, providing a better understanding of development and cancer progression.

3. Celebrating our Graduates

The graduation ceremony celebrated nine new Ph.D. graduates whose research spanned regeneration, gene regulation, stem cell biology, and neuroscience. The ceremony honored seven Stowers Graduate School doctoral recipients and two Open University graduates. The Graduate School now has a total of 40 alumni who earned a Ph.D. in Biology.

4. Behrensen - Guzmán Palma Award

The annual Behrensen – Guzmán at Palma Award recognizes the most outstanding research paper led by a graduate student at the Stowers Institute. This year’s recipient was Julia Peloggia, Ph.D., for her 2024 publication in Development, which revealed that environmental factors, alongside genetics, play a crucial role in guiding the development of sensory organs. The findings provide insight that may be critical for understanding how aquatic animals can adapt in a changing climate. Peloggia is a former Ph.D. student in the lab of Investigator Tatjana Piotrowski, Ph.D.

5. Welcoming our 2025 Summer Scholars

The Summer Scholars Program is an internship program that introduces undergraduates to hands-on, graduate level research within the Institute’s highly collaborative environment. Nineteen exceptional studentsfrom around the world gained invaluable training and research experience to prepare them for graduate school. Each scholar presented their research projects at an all-Institute poster session.

6. A breakthrough in genome editing

Isaac Witte, now a Ph.D. student in the lab of David Liu, Ph.D., at Harvard University, published a study in Science describing evoCAST — a powerful new platform for efficient, programmable gene integration in human cells. Witte, who was a 2017 Summer Scholar, led the study in collaboration with scientists at Columbia University.

7. New Computational Biology Scholars

This year, three new Computational Biology Scholars joined the Institute and the Stowers Graduate School. The one-year program gives early-career computational biologists hands-on training and mentorship from Technology Center scientists while working in an Investigator’s lab. Upon completion, scholars may be eligible for a full-time position at the Institute.

8. Welcoming our new 2025 Ph.D. Students

Eleven early-career scientists joined the Stowers Graduate School as the newest class of Ph.D. students. With mentorship from Principal Investigators and Technology Center experts, students receive advanced research training while pursuing novel biological questions that form the foundation of their doctoral work.

9. Summer of Science

Ph.D. students from the Stowers Graduate School attended and participated in conferences and courses throughout the summer. Learn more about their experiences.

10. Stowers Crossroads Research Conference

The Stowers Crossroads Research Conference (CRC), an annual internal scientific conference brought together Investigators, postdocs, Ph.D. students, and Technology Center scientists to present and discuss ongoing research, while providing a forum for scientific discussion and feedback. Stowers Graduate School Ph.D. students participated in talks and poster sessions spanning diverse fields of biology.

11. 2025 Lab Coat Ceremony

The Stowers Graduate School held its annual Lab Coat Ceremony, welcoming the 2024-2025 class of Ph.D. students to their new research labs. Each student introduced their scientific interests and received a Stowers lab coat from their thesis advisor, marking their entry into the Institute’s collaborative research community. The event underscored the school’s emphasis on curiosity, critical thinking, and scientific rigor.