diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 1be6c2c..de7e12c 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -164,5 +164,8 @@ cython_debug/
 # Mac
 .DS_Store
 
+# Git worktrees
+.worktrees/
+
 # Papers
 nanobody_design/discussions/finetuning/papers
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5aef939..452644d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -52,3 +52,14 @@ pip install -e .
 ## OpenAI API Key
 
 The Virtual Lab currently uses GPT-5.2 from OpenAI by default. Save your OpenAI API key as the environment variable `OPENAI_API_KEY`. For example, add `export OPENAI_API_KEY=<your_key>` to your `.bashrc` or `.bash_profile`.
+
+
+## Usage
+
+### Meeting Parameters
+
+When running meetings with `run_meeting()`, you can enable optional tools and search capabilities:
+
+**PubMed Search:** Pass `pubmed_search=True` to `run_meeting()` to enable PubMed literature search. The model will use the PubMed search tool to query scientific literature during the meeting.
+
+**Web Search:** Pass `web_search=True` to `run_meeting()` to enable real-time web search via OpenAI's built-in web search tool. The model will automatically search the web as needed during the meeting. Requires a model that supports `web_search_options` (e.g. `gpt-4o`, `gpt-5`).
diff --git a/src/virtual_lab/run_meeting.py b/src/virtual_lab/run_meeting.py
index 0441ae0..47aa36d 100644
--- a/src/virtual_lab/run_meeting.py
+++ b/src/virtual_lab/run_meeting.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 from openai import OpenAI, NOT_GIVEN
 from openai.types.chat import ChatCompletionAssistantMessageParam, ChatCompletionMessageParam, ChatCompletionToolParam
+from openai.types.chat.completion_create_params import WebSearchOptions
 from tqdm import trange, tqdm
 
 from virtual_lab.agent import Agent
@@ -46,6 +47,7 @@ def run_meeting(
     num_rounds: int = 0,
     temperature: float = CONSISTENT_TEMPERATURE,
     pubmed_search: bool = False,
+    web_search: bool = False,
     return_summary: bool = False,
 ) -> str | None:
     """Runs a meeting with a LLM agents.
@@ -64,6 +66,7 @@ def run_meeting(
     :param num_rounds: The number of rounds of discussion.
     :param temperature: The sampling temperature.
     :param pubmed_search: Whether to include a PubMed search tool.
+    :param web_search: Whether to enable the OpenAI web search tool, allowing agents to search the web during the meeting.
     :param return_summary: Whether to return the summary of the meeting.
     :return: The summary of the meeting (i.e., the last message) if return_summary is True, else None.
     """
@@ -106,6 +109,11 @@ def run_meeting(
         [ChatCompletionToolParam(**PUBMED_TOOL_DESCRIPTION)] if pubmed_search else None  # type: ignore[misc]
     )
 
+    # Set up web search options
+    # NOTE: Use `is not None` guard (not truthiness) when passing to create() —
+    # WebSearchOptions() is an empty dict, which is falsy in Python.
+    web_search_opts: WebSearchOptions | None = WebSearchOptions() if web_search else None
+
     # Set up tool token count
     tool_token_count = 0
 
@@ -192,6 +200,7 @@ def run_meeting(
                 messages=agent_messages,
                 temperature=temperature,
                 tools=tools if tools else NOT_GIVEN,
+                web_search_options=web_search_opts if web_search_opts is not None else NOT_GIVEN,
             )
 
             # Get the response message
@@ -228,6 +237,7 @@ def run_meeting(
                     model=agent.model,
                     messages=agent_messages,
                     temperature=temperature,
+                    web_search_options=web_search_opts if web_search_opts is not None else NOT_GIVEN,
                 )
                 response_message = response.choices[0].message
 
diff --git a/tests/__init__.py b/tests/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/tests/test_run_meeting.py b/tests/test_run_meeting.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..be00a61
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_run_meeting.py
@@ -0,0 +1,136 @@
+"""Tests for web_search and pubmed_search parameter behaviour in run_meeting()."""
+
+from pathlib import Path
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock, patch
+
+import pytest
+
+from openai import NOT_GIVEN
+from openai.types.chat.completion_create_params import WebSearchOptions
+
+from virtual_lab.agent import Agent
+from virtual_lab.run_meeting import run_meeting
+
+
+AGENT = Agent(
+    title="Scientist",
+    expertise="biology",
+    goal="do science",
+    role="researcher",
+    model="gpt-5.2",
+)
+
+
+def _make_mock_response() -> MagicMock:
+    mock_response = MagicMock()
+    mock_response.choices[0].message.content = "done"
+    mock_response.choices[0].message.tool_calls = None
+    return mock_response
+
+
+def _run(tmp_path: Path, pubmed_search: bool = False, web_search: bool = False) -> MagicMock:
+    """Runs a minimal individual meeting with mocked OpenAI. Returns the mock create callable."""
+    mock_create = MagicMock(return_value=_make_mock_response())
+
+    with patch("virtual_lab.run_meeting.OpenAI") as MockOpenAI, \
+         patch("virtual_lab.run_meeting.save_meeting"), \
+         patch("virtual_lab.run_meeting.print_cost_and_time"), \
+         patch("virtual_lab.run_meeting.count_discussion_tokens",
+               return_value={"input": 0, "output": 0, "max": 0, "tool": 0}):
+
+        MockOpenAI.return_value.chat.completions.create = mock_create
+
+        run_meeting(
+            meeting_type="individual",
+            agenda="Test agenda",
+            save_dir=tmp_path,
+            team_member=AGENT,
+            num_rounds=0,
+            pubmed_search=pubmed_search,
+            web_search=web_search,
+        )
+
+    return mock_create
+
+
+def test_web_search_disabled_passes_not_given(tmp_path):
+    """When web_search=False, web_search_options should be NOT_GIVEN."""
+    mock_create = _run(tmp_path, web_search=False)
+    kwargs = mock_create.call_args_list[0].kwargs
+    assert kwargs.get("web_search_options") is NOT_GIVEN
+
+
+def test_web_search_enabled_passes_web_search_options(tmp_path):
+    """When web_search=True, web_search_options should be a WebSearchOptions instance."""
+    mock_create = _run(tmp_path, web_search=True)
+    kwargs = mock_create.call_args_list[0].kwargs
+    # WebSearchOptions() is an empty dict (TypedDict doesn't support isinstance checks)
+    assert kwargs.get("web_search_options") == {}
+
+
+def test_web_search_does_not_affect_tools_list(tmp_path):
+    """Enabling web_search should not add anything to the tools list."""
+    mock_create = _run(tmp_path, web_search=True, pubmed_search=False)
+    kwargs = mock_create.call_args_list[0].kwargs
+    assert kwargs.get("tools") is NOT_GIVEN
+
+
+def test_pubmed_and_web_search_can_be_combined(tmp_path):
+    """Both pubmed_search and web_search can be enabled simultaneously."""
+    mock_create = _run(tmp_path, pubmed_search=True, web_search=True)
+    kwargs = mock_create.call_args_list[0].kwargs
+    # tools list should contain PubMed tool
+    assert kwargs.get("tools") is not NOT_GIVEN
+    # web_search_options should be set (as a dict, not NOT_GIVEN)
+    assert kwargs.get("web_search_options") == {}
+    assert kwargs.get("web_search_options") is not NOT_GIVEN
+
+
+def test_web_search_options_propagates_to_followup_create_call(tmp_path):
+    """When a PubMed tool call fires, the follow-up create() call must also carry web_search_options."""
+    from openai.types.chat.chat_completion_message_tool_call import ChatCompletionMessageToolCall, Function
+
+    # Build a mock tool call for PubMed so the first response triggers run_tools()
+    fake_tool_call = MagicMock(spec=ChatCompletionMessageToolCall)
+    fake_tool_call.id = "call_abc"
+    fake_tool_call.function = MagicMock(spec=Function)
+    fake_tool_call.function.name = "pubmed_search"
+    fake_tool_call.function.arguments = '{"query": "test", "num_articles": 1}'
+
+    # First create() returns a response with a tool call; second returns a normal response
+    first_response = MagicMock()
+    first_response.choices[0].message.content = None
+    first_response.choices[0].message.tool_calls = [fake_tool_call]
+
+    second_response = MagicMock()
+    second_response.choices[0].message.content = "done"
+    second_response.choices[0].message.tool_calls = None
+
+    mock_create = MagicMock(side_effect=[first_response, second_response])
+
+    with patch("virtual_lab.run_meeting.OpenAI") as MockOpenAI, \
+         patch("virtual_lab.run_meeting.save_meeting"), \
+         patch("virtual_lab.run_meeting.print_cost_and_time"), \
+         patch("virtual_lab.run_meeting.count_discussion_tokens",
+               return_value={"input": 0, "output": 0, "max": 0, "tool": 0}), \
+         patch("virtual_lab.run_meeting.run_tools",
+               return_value=(["pubmed result"], [{"role": "tool", "tool_call_id": "call_abc", "content": "result"}])):
+
+        MockOpenAI.return_value.chat.completions.create = mock_create
+
+        run_meeting(
+            meeting_type="individual",
+            agenda="Test agenda",
+            save_dir=tmp_path,
+            team_member=AGENT,
+            num_rounds=0,
+            pubmed_search=True,
+            web_search=True,
+        )
+
+    # The second create() call (tool followup) should also carry web_search_options
+    assert mock_create.call_count == 2
+    second_call_kwargs = mock_create.call_args_list[1].kwargs
+    # WebSearchOptions is a TypedDict, so we check it's a dict and not NOT_GIVEN
+    assert second_call_kwargs.get("web_search_options") == {}
+    assert second_call_kwargs.get("web_search_options") is not NOT_GIVEN