The private philanthropy said the 42 men and 14 women selected as Hughes investigators are at the forefront of scientific fields that range from microbiology, genetics, and immunology to bioengineering, synthetic biology and the ecology of infectious disease, the institute said Tuesday in a news release.

"These 56 scientists will bring new and innovative ways of thinking about biology to the HHMI community," said Thomas R. Cech, the institute's president. "They are poised to advance scientific knowledge dramatically in the coming years, and we are committed to providing them with the freedom and flexibility to do so."

The scientists were selected from more than 1,000 applicants.