tom cech is the institute's president. how large is the endowment?e good news is that as of 9:30 this morning, it was up from $10 billion a few months ago to now $11 billion. >> that makes the hughes institute the second largest philanthropy in the country. only bill gates' foundation is bigger. >> okay, so there's something interesting. >> it's mission: to unlock the secrets of life. hughes funds hundreds of the best biologists and geneticists in america. give us some of the hughes greatest hits, some of the great discoveries. >> the discovery of the genes responsible for cystic fibrosis and muscular dystrophy, and a noninvasive test for colon cancer. >> and a new drug that fights leukemia, breakthroughs in aids research, work that may lead to a cure for spinal cord injuries, and much more. all these discoveries were made by so-called "howard hughes investigators." there are more than 300 in the u.s., and they're the cream of the scientific crop. how much does howard hughes spend a year funding all these projects? >> it's about $1 million per invest