Science Cult Mascot

HELA is the mascot of Decentralized Science (DeSci) movement, striving to make science popular and fun (again). Inspired by the discovery of HeLa cells, one of the most valuable and timeless discoveries in the history of science. The name hints on a tribute to Henrietta Lacks, whose cancer cells are the source of the HeLa cell line, the first immortalized human cell line and one of the most important cell lines in medical research. An immortalized cell line reproduces indefinitely under specific conditions, and the HeLa cell line continues to be a source of invaluable medical data to the present day.