From the beginning, these core labs helped accelerate the Institute’s research. For example, a state-of-the-art microscopy center partnered with the lab of Investigator Linheng Li, Ph.D., to enable the first visualization of a supportive “home” where blood stem cells live in bone marrow. What had once been an elusive concept — the stem cell niche — became a visible reality.

The Technology Centers have evolved throughout the past two-plus decades. “Initially, Technology Centers focused on providing service and instrumentation support,” explained Chief Operating Officer Brian Slaughter, Ph.D. “Over the years, we transitioned to recruiting scientists who are now part of the research programs of our Investigators, proposing experiments and publishing collaborative papers. It is truly a unique model to invest so heavily in not just equipment but talent.”

That pairing of technology and talent continues to drive innovation. “The ever-expanding capabilities of technology have been, and will always be, a basic tenet of the Institute’s success,” said Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) Member Michael Levine, Ph.D., Professor of Genomics at Princeton University.

Stowers technology even extends to nature itself. A vast variety of creatures are housed at the Institute — from planarians and apple snails to coral, plants, and some of the most ancient life forms, such as bacteria and viruses — each carefully chosen to answer a specific biological question. Planarians, for example, can regrow entire bodies from tiny fragments, while apple snails have become a new system for studying eye formation and repair, both offering windows into regeneration. Specialized husbandry and infrastructure support these organisms, which exemplifies how technology and biology intersect at the Institute.

Essentially, this means pursuing science without limitations. “We don't ask our researchers to study a question based on which research organism is already here,” said Slaughter. “Rather we ask, ‘What would you like to study?’ and ‘What research organism is best to study that?’ This leads to fascinating research projects with huge potential for impact.”

Looking ahead, the Institute is investing in artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate discovery. “Science is driven by technology. From day one, the vision was to have core facilities that would transform and enable the science of the Investigators,” said Eric Olson, Ph.D., SAB Chairman and Chair of Molecular Biology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. “AI is the future — to the extent that those new technologies can be integrated into the Stowers research efforts, I think the sky’s the limit.”

For President and Chief Scientific Officer Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado, Ph.D., the future of biology demands a broadened scope. “The most impactful science is going to come from individuals who harness technology to marry the interface between cellular and molecular biology with systems and environmental biology.”

After 25 years, the Institute continues to adapt yet remains committed to making the impossible possible. Sánchez Alvarado recalled establishing apple snails as a novel research organism, but his thought conveys the spirit of all the Institute’s achievements, from the Stowers’ original vision to the present and far into the future: “It was a big risk, but it worked.”