Can we spot scientific breakthroughs before they happen?
How do funding decisions shape the direction of biomedical research? Can we spot transformative discoveries years before they are recognised by prizes, policies, or the wider community? And what can patterns of scientific communication tell us about how breakthroughs actually emerge? In a new spotLights episode, preLighter Jonathan Townson speaks…
| Posted on | 15 April 2026 |
New ‘spotLights’ Short: Anubhav takes the stage
After launching our very first YouTube Short with Teodora Piskova two weeks ago, we’re back with another video highlighting excellent (preprinted) work from within the preLights community. This time, in Episode 18 of spotLights, we hear from Anubhav Prakash, a postdoctoral researcher in the Wickström lab at the Max Planck…
| Posted on | 18 March 2026 |
Preprints without borders: SciELO Preprints’ push for multilingual, Open Science in Latin America and beyond
preLights recently spoke with Carolina Tanigushi who now looks after SciELO Preprints, the preprint server that is part of the SciELO Network. We talked about SciELO’s shift into an Open Science programme, the opportunities and challenges of running a preprint service across 16 national collections, and practical steps to boost…
| Posted on | 14 January 2026 |
Reflecting on 2025: Popular themes from preLights
As we head into 2026, it seems a good time to reflect on some popular preLights that were posted last year. From the discovery of novel (extra)cellular structures to the adoption of tools reshaping the way we study biological processes up close, these stories together provide a glimpse into the…
| Posted on | 7 January 2026 |
From preLighter to Executive Editor: How Samantha Seah helps students find their voice in science
In this interview, we hear from Samantha Seah, a former preLighter who will soon step into the role of Executive Editor at the Journal of Emerging Investigators. Here, Samantha traces JEI’s origins, explains how student projects are reviewed and supported, describes recent expansions like eiRxiv and teacher resources, and shares…
| Posted on | 10 December 2025 |
Preprints by preLighters: Hala Taha
Every research paper carries a story—one that rarely makes it into the methods or the discussion section. Mine begins in a small parasitology lab in Sudan, on the last day before the war forced me to flee. That morning, a photo was taken of me and a colleague as we…
| Posted on | 24 November 2025 |