Pete Farley

Biohub scientist wins ‘Innovation in Research’ award for distinguished contributions to cell biology

American Society for Cell Biology honors Group Leader Manuel Leonetti for OpenCell project

Manuel Leonetti, leader of the Intracellular Architecture group in the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub’s Quantitative Cell Science initiative, has been awarded the Innovation in Research Award from the American Society for Cell Biology (ACSB), a distinction that “recognizes early and mid-career scientists for their new and innovative research in cell biology,” according to the ASCB announcement.

Manuel Leonetti, Ph.D.

In addition to his many contributions to cell biology overall, Leonetti was specifically cited for spearheading OpenCell, an open-source, proteome-scale collection of protein localization and interaction measurements in human cells. The first major OpenCell publication appeared in Science in March, 2022.

In conjunction with the Innovation Research Award, Leonetti will deliver a talk at the 2022 Cell Bio meeting, a joint conference of ACSB and the European Molecular Biology Organization to be held this year in Washington, DC.

“ASCB honorific awards recognize individuals making important contributions to our community,” said ASCB CEO Rebecca Alvania. “The society honors those whose research significantly advances our understanding of the cell, whose dedication to cell biology education and mentoring prepares the next generation, whose commitment to public policy helps to advance biomedical research, and whose achievements in creating inclusive scientific cultures ensure ongoing progress in developing a more equitable and diverse community of cell biologists.”

For more on ACSB’s honorific awards, see the Society’s website.

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