# Biologists Turn Motel Room into Lab After Trump Funding Cuts

> Biologists made a key discovery in a motel room after losing Trump-era funding.
- Title: Biologists Turn Motel Room into Lab After Trump Funding Cuts
- Summary: Biologists made a key discovery in a motel room after losing Trump-era funding. Biologists discovered two new Paulinella species in a motel lab after Trump's…
- Keywords: paulinella, trump funding cuts, motel lab, microscopic organisms, national science foundation, journal of phycology, science, technology, Biologists, Turn, Motel, Room
- Source: Futurism — https://futurism.com/science-energy/biologists-trump-funding-motel-discovery
- Author: Frank Landymore
- Published: 2026-10-03T19:01:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: paulinella, trump funding cuts, motel lab, microscopic organisms, national science foundation, journal of phycology, science, technology
## Trump Funding Cuts
Biologists lost federal research funding after Trump's 2025 memo froze federal science grants.
## Motel Lab Discovery
Van Etten and her team made a breakthrough finding two new Paulinella species in a motel room lab.
## Paulinella's Significance
Paulinella shows how a single-celled organism absorbed photosynthetic bacteria 1.5 billion years ago.
## Recent Evolutionary Event
Paulinella experienced a photosynthetic merger 100 million years ago, unlike the ancient event.
## Syracuse Biologist's View
Angela Oliverio, a Syracuse University biologist, called Paulinella a 'snapshot' of the evolutionary process.

> It’s really amazing to me, this represents the only other case right now of where this chance evolutionary event occurred.
## Funding Impact
Van Etten lost her $60,000 NSF fellowship after Trump's 2025 funding freeze.
## Key takeaway

Biologists discovered two new Paulinella species in a motel lab after Trump's funding cuts.