Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard

Researchers derived a single Paneth cell with anti-microbial granules in red and green from an adult intestinal stem cell.

Charting a path to better cell models of the intestine

Researchers generate an intestinal cell mimic that can be harnessed in studies of diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease.

June 19, 2018

Researchers have taken an in-depth look at RNA-protein interactions, determining the sequence, structure, and context preferences of RNA-binding proteins in a high throughput manner.

Decoding RNA-protein interactions

Scientists leverage one step, unbiased method to characterize the binding preferences of more than 70 human RNA-binding proteins.

June 7, 2018

Brighter fluorescence (at right) represents greater expression of the protein neurogranin in the hippocampus of mice exposed to new contexts (versus mice not exposed to new contexts, at left). The quick production of neurogranin is believed to help in the creation of new memories.

Protein pair quickly makes memories of new places

MIT researchers find that encountering novel contexts cues the brain to churn out neurogranin.

June 6, 2018

Ed Boyden (left) and Feng Zhang have been named HHMI investigators.

Ed Boyden and Feng Zhang named Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators

MIT faculty members are among 19 top scientists selected from across the nation.

May 23, 2018

MIT’s four new NAS members are (from left): Feng Zhang, Mehran Kardar, Amy Finkelstein, and Xiao-Gang Wen.

National Academy of Sciences elects four MIT professors for 2018

Finkelstein, Kardar, Wen, and Zhang honored for research achievements.

May 1, 2018

Eight from MIT elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences for 2018

Prestigious honor society announces 213 new members this year.

April 18, 2018

In this image, four Plasmodium vivax parasites have invaded human hepatocytes. Three of the parasites are developing while one parasite, on the lower right, is a dormant hypnozoite, which remains small until its reactivation.

Human malaria parasites grown for the first time in dormant form

Novel technology could allow researchers to develop and test new antimalaria drugs.

February 22, 2018

A collection of SHERLOCK paper test strips. (Left) Unused paper strips, (middle) paper tests displaying a negative SHERLOCK readout, and (right) paper tests displaying a positive SHERLOCK readout.

Researchers advance CRISPR-based tool for diagnosing disease

With SHERLOCK, a strip of paper can now indicate presence of pathogens, tumor DNA, or any genetic signature of interest.

February 15, 2018

From left to right: Polina Anikeeva, the Class of 1942 Associate Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and associate director of the Research Laboratory of Electronics, and Feng Zhang, the James and Patricia Poitras ’63 Professor in Neuroscience at the McGovern Institute, a core member of the Broad Institute, and an associate professor in the departments of Brain and C...

Polina Anikeeva and Feng Zhang awarded 2018 Vilcek Prize

Prize recognizes contributions to biomedical research made by immigrant scientists.

February 1, 2018

Postdoc Kathryn Kauffman and former guest researcher Aidong Ruan process ocean water samples at Canoe Cove in Nahant, Massachusetts. The researchers were observing how microbial communities change over time in a particular location.

Microbial communities demonstrate high turnover

New research provides insight into the behavior of microbial communities in the ocean.

January 18, 2018

At least 30 MIT faculty, research staff, and alumni are listed throughout Forbes’ seventh annual 30 Under 30 edition, featuring some of the world’s best young innovators.

MIT brainpower highlighted in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 lists for 2018

Forbes calls this year's 30 Under 30 lists an "encyclopedia of creative disruption."

November 21, 2017

Researchers have developed a new method for making “blood biopsies” for cancer more effective by using whole exome sequencing to monitor tumor DNA from blood samples.

New techniques give blood biopsies greater promise

Improved methods validate the use of blood samples for studying patients’ cancer genomes.

November 6, 2017

A new “REPAIR” system edits RNA, rather than DNA.

Researchers engineer CRISPR to edit single RNA letters in human cells

“REPAIR” system edits RNA, rather than DNA; has potential to treat diseases without permanently affecting the genome.

October 25, 2017

2017 Science Slam participants, host, and judges: (l-r) Xin Tang, Karthik Shekhar, Sudha Kumari, Deniz Atabay, Monika Avello, Sahin Naqvi, Emilie Marcus, Emma Kowal, Vivian Siegel, Ari Daniel, Ellen Clegg, and Nicole Aponte.

Department of Biology hosts its first Science Slam

Eight biology trainees had just three minutes to explain their research and earn favor with the judges and audience in new yearly event.

October 5, 2017

Ten from MIT and the Broad Institute recently received NIH Director's Awards. Top row (l-r): Feng Zhang, Kay Tye, Kevin Esvelt, Fei Chen; Bottom row (l-r): Gabriela Schlau-Cohen, Ahmed Badran, Hilary Finucane, Ed Boyden. Not pictured: Paul Blainey and Evan Macosko.

Ten researchers from MIT and Broad receive NIH Director’s Awards

Awards support high-risk, high-impact biomedical research.