All forms of life are composed of cells. From a single-celled bacterium to a Giant Sequoia, from a worm to a human. Biology research at the molecular and cellular level is akin to the study of chemistry at the atomic level. The processes carried out by “molecules” within and between cells, the fundamental building blocks of every organism, are as diverse as the variability of life on our planet. The common yet vastly different functions performed by cells is an area primed for novel discoveries on decoding life’s secrets at the microscopic level. At the Stowers Institute, many of our scientists are dedicated to understanding the molecular and biochemical interactions governing our cells.

Developmental biology research focuses on the means by which all living things develop or grow into their mature forms. We seek to understand every aspect of normal development to identify how and where development can be disrupted. In animals, early development is intricately related to regeneration, the restoration of cells, tissues, organs, or body parts. We examine how cells can differentiate into any of the many types of cells found in an adult organism such as planarian flatworms, leading to a better understanding of development and growth and what goes wrong in disease.

Genetics, the study of particular stretches of DNA, is at its very foundation what and who we are. At the Stowers Institute, our scientists are profoundly focused on decoding genes that control specific functions required by all organisms, and understanding the oftentimes unexpectedly harmful impacts caused by mutations in these genes. The regulation of gene expression, or how gene activity is turned on and off at specific times and places, is another major area of study. Genomics, the study of many or all our genes together, is critical for underpinning the structure and function of the genome, how different genes are expressed, and how genes interact in health and disease.

The human brain, composed of 86 billion neurons involved in nearly one quadrillion synapses or signals, orchestrates everything we do. The study of neuroscience encompasses not only the brain but also our sensory systems and how neurons and glia communicate information between the brain, spinal cord, and nervous systems that influence behavior and memory. Stowers’ scientists are actively pursuing the bases underlying neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, in addition to addressing the dual nature of amyloids in disease and in the creation of memory.

Systems biology is the comprehensive study of how genes, cells, and tissues interact through complex signaling mechanisms. Our scientists seek to understand the bases for a vast array of biological systems and to uncover how these circuitries can go awry in human disease. Techniques used at the Stowers Institute include computational, modeling, and AI approaches to investigate these complex mechanisms.

From the appearance of the very first cell, every form of life on our planet shares a common ancestor: DNA. How, over the course of billions of years, did such diversity arise? And, what can we learn from our more evolutionary distant relatives? At the Stowers Institute, our scientists examine fundamental processes over a wide range of research organisms on different branches on the evolutionary tree of life to understand the similarities and differences in the mechanisms governing human health and disease.