Microimaging, or microscopic photography, is an important part of the ALS Therapy Development Institute’s (ALS TDI) preclinical drug discovery research. This process involves the use of advanced microscopy and a process called immunostaining, which allows them to apply bright fluorescent dyes to individual structures within a cell. These images are crucial tools for ALS TDI’s cell biology team, allowing them to assess the condition of cellular models of ALS and observe if experimental treatments are having an effect. Although their primary purpose is scientific, not aesthetic, these images can be visually striking. Inspired by the images she creates as part of her role, ALS TDI’s Associate Scientist II Swetha Gurumurthy, has submitted her work to several national and international scientific photography competitions. In 2025, she received her most prestigious recognition yet when she was named a runner-up in the UK’s Royal Society Publishing Photography Contest in the microimaging category.

The ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI) is proud to announce that it will lead all research operations for Champion Insights—a new study planned to launch this fall in partnership with Answer ALS and Augie’s Quest to Cure ALS. This effort aims to uncover critical genetic and metabolic factors that may help explain the significantly higher incidence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) among endurance athletes, military service members, and other potentially high-risk groups.

In the months leading up to the 2026 Tri-State Trek, we will be publishing perspectives some of the event's most dedicated supporters about why they ride and what the Trek means to them. Today, we're featuring a letter from Liz Coccio of the team HAS Mamas.