Janelia Research Campus facts for kids
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| Established | September 6, 2006 |
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| Research type | neurobiology |
| Budget | $300 million |
| Director | Nelson Spruston |
| Staff | 650 |
| Location | Ashburn, Virginia |
| Campus | 689 acres (2.79 km2) |
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Operating agency
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Howard Hughes Medical Institute |
| Eric Betzig | |
Janelia Research Campus is a special place where scientists do amazing research. It's part of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) and opened in October 2006. You can find it in Loudoun County, Virginia, close to Ashburn. People know Janelia for its cool science and modern buildings. The person in charge right now is Nelson Spruston. He became the director in 2024, taking over from Ronald Vale. Before that, Gerald M. Rubin was the first director. Until 2014, it was called "Janelia Farm Research Campus."
Contents
What Scientists Study at Janelia
Most of the research funded by HHMI happens at other universities and labs. But some big science problems need a special place to solve them. That's why Janelia was built. It's a unique center focused on neurobiology, which is the study of the brain and nervous system. As of February 2025, about 650 people work there.
Understanding the Brain
Scientists at Janelia try to figure out how our brains process information. They study how tiny brain circuits work. They also create new ways to see inside cells, like advanced microscopes. Plus, they develop computer programs to understand the images they get. In 2017, they started a new area of study called mechanistic cognitive neuroscience. This looks at how the brain's parts work together to help us think and learn.
Big Science Projects
Janelia often works on large projects with many scientists. These projects create new tools and information that help scientists everywhere. For example, they have created detailed maps of the brains of fruit flies (Drosophila) and mice. They also improve special glowing sensors that help scientists see what's happening inside living cells. One big success was creating the first full brain image of a fruit fly with enough detail to see individual brain cells.
A Different Way to Do Research
Janelia was designed to be a very open and teamwork-focused place. It's like famous labs such as AT&T Bell Laboratories and Cambridge's Laboratory of Molecular Biology. Researchers at Janelia work on six-year contracts. They get all their funding from Janelia itself, so they don't have to spend time applying for grants from other places. This lets them focus completely on their science.
Many talented scientists lead labs at Janelia. Some well-known names include Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz, Gerry Rubin, Luke Lavis, and Eric Betzig.
Learning and Community
Janelia isn't just about research; it's also about education. They have programs for high school, college, and graduate students. They even work with Johns Hopkins for some graduate programs.
Janelia also helps local schools. With the Loudoun Academy of Science, HHMI gives about $1 million each year to support science education in Loudoun County Public Schools. Janelia also hosts talks for the public every few months, so everyone can learn about their discoveries.
Cool Science Tools and Labs
Powerful Computers
Studying the brain creates a lot of data! Some special microscopes can produce more than 5 gigabytes of data every second. Mapping brain connections using electron microscopes creates huge files. For example, one fruit fly brain dataset is 400 terabytes, which is a massive amount of information. Analyzing such data needs super powerful computers.
Janelia has a huge computer system for its researchers. It includes a cluster of 6,000 computer cores and 300 special graphics processors (GPUs). They also have 25 petabytes of storage, which is enough to store millions of movies. All this data is backed up every night at another location.
Animal Care Facilities
Janelia has a special area for laboratory animals like zebrafish, mice, and rats. Trained staff help with their daily care, breeding, and even surgeries. Robots help with routine tasks. For example, "fly flipping robots" move fruit flies to fresh food. Two robot arms help clean mouse cages by moving them into and out of a special cleaning machine.
Advanced Imaging Center
Scientists from all over the world can apply to use Janelia's amazing microscopes. This includes both optical microscopes (which use light) and electron microscopes. This center helps researchers get the best images for their experiments.
Building New Instruments
Janelia has a special facility called jET (Janelia Experimental Technology). This team designs, builds, and tests new scientific tools, instruments, and software that you can't buy anywhere else. They create custom solutions for unique research needs.
The Janelia Campus
The Janelia Research Campus is built on land that includes the historic Janelia Farm house. This house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. HHMI bought the property in 2000. The main campus covers about 281 acres (1.1 square kilometers).
The Landscape Building
The main research building is called the Landscape Building. It's 900 feet (270 meters) long and shaped like a curve. Designed by Rafael Viñoly, it's built into a hill and is the main place for research.
Other Campus Features
There's also a hotel with 96 rooms for people attending conferences. It overlooks a pond and connects to the Landscape Building through a tunnel. Selden Island, a 408-acre (1.65 square kilometer) island in the Potomac River, was added to the campus in 2004. It's a popular spot for staff to jog and relax.
Many employees live right on campus. There are three apartment buildings with 240 units, plus 34 townhouses and 21 studio apartments. This means more than a quarter of the staff can live close to work. Other employees can take a special shuttle bus provided by HHMI to places like Arlington. The campus also has great fitness facilities, including a yoga studio, a climbing gym, tennis courts, and a soccer field.
The campus grounds are beautifully designed. They include over four acres of green roofs, which help the buildings blend into the natural surroundings. Landscape architects have continued to improve the campus with water features, walking paths, and outdoor art.
See also
