Gene-Wei Li named associate head of the Department of Biology
The associate professor aims to help the department continue to be a worldwide leader in education, biological sciences, and fundamental research.
Department
Biology
Immune-informed brain aging research offers new treatment possibilities, speakers say
Speakers at MIT’s Aging Brain Initiative symposium described how immune system factors during aging contribute to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other conditions. The field is leveraging that knowledge to develop new therapies.
Engineered “natural killer” cells could help fight cancer
A new study identifies genetic modifications that make these immune cells, known as CAR-NK cells, more effective at destroying cancer cells.
By attracting the world’s sharpest talent, MIT helps keep the US a step ahead
MIT is a global community whose international engagement bestows benefits well beyond the Cambridge campus.
Inflammation jolts “sleeping” cancer cells awake, enabling them to multiply again
Chemotherapy-induced injury of organ tissue causes inflammation that awakens dormant cancer cells, which may cause new tumors to form.
A more precise way to edit the genome
MIT researchers have dramatically lowered the error rate of prime editing, a technique that holds potential for treating many genetic disorders.
Remembering David Baltimore, influential biologist and founding director of the Whitehead Institute
The longtime MIT professor and Nobel laureate was a globally respected researcher, academic leader, and science policy visionary who guided the careers of generations of scientists.
Locally produced proteins help mitochondria function
Researchers developed an approach to study where proteins get made, and characterized proteins produced near mitochondria, gaining potential insights into mitochondrial function and disease.
Mapping cells in time and space: New tool reveals a detailed history of tumor growth
Researchers developed a tool to recreate cells’ family trees. Comparing cells’ lineages and locations within a tumor provided insights into factors shaping tumor growth.
Staff members honored with 2025 Excellence Awards, Collier Medal, and Staff Award for Distinction in Service
The MIT community celebrates their fellow staff members’ talent and dedication to the Institute.
Five MIT faculty elected to the National Academy of Sciences for 2025
Rodney Brooks, Parag Pathak, Scott Sheffield, Benjamin Weiss, Yukiko Yamashita, and 13 MIT alumni are recognized by their peers for their outstanding contributions to research.
New method combines imaging and sequencing to study gene function in intact tissue
The approach collects multiple types of imaging and sequencing data from the same cells, leading to new insights into mouse liver biology.
QS ranks MIT the world’s No. 1 university for 2025-26
Ranking at the top for the 14th year in a row, the Institute also places first in 11 subject areas.
Eight with MIT ties win 2025 Hertz Foundation Fellowships
The fellowships recognize doctoral students who have “the extraordinary creativity and principled leadership necessary to tackle problems others can’t solve.”
Biologists identify targets for new pancreatic cancer treatments
Their study yielded hundreds of “cryptic” peptides that are found only on pancreatic tumor cells and could be targeted by vaccines or engineered T cells.