Biology

"I would say that the committee is not opening the door to human genome editing, but we are, so to speak, removing the padlock pending possible new applications," says Richard Hynes, a Daniel K. Ludwig Professor for Cancer Research at MIT and co-chair of the NAS study committee that created the Human Genome Editing Report.

3Q: Behind the scenes of the National Academy of Sciences' report on human genome editing

MIT professor and NAS report committee co-chair Richard Hynes gives insight into the report’s recommendations.

February 24, 2017

“[W]hen I came here for CPW [Campus Preview Weekend], I realized that these people were really passionate about what they were doing, and that they were doing really cool things. It’s nerdy, but it’s my kind of nerdy,” senior Hermoon Worku says.

Future physician-advocate

Senior Hermoon Worku is pursuing a career dedicated to surgery, advocacy, and teaching.

February 20, 2017

Left to right: MIT Professor Angelika Amon, Glenn Foundation President and Director Mark Collins, University of Rochester Professor Vera Gorbunova, and MIT Professor Leonard Guerente.

Vera Gorbunova delivers eighth Paul F. Glenn Lecture

Expert on long-lived rodents provides insights into research on longevity and cancer resistance.

February 16, 2017

Eric Lander, an MIT professor of biology, is the 2016-2017 recipient of the James R. Killian Jr. Faculty Achievement Award.

Chronicling the rapid pace of genomics

Professor Eric Lander, pioneer of human genomics, delivers annual Killian Lecture.

February 15, 2017

MIT Institute Professor Sallie (Penny) Chisholm poses with the first two books in the “Sunlight Series,” a collection of children's books that teach Earth's natural processes from the point of view of the sun.

How the smallest, most abundant bacteria inspired a children's book series

Institute Professor Penny Chisholm teams up with author and illustrator Molly Bang to write environmental children’s book series.

January 31, 2017

Barbara Imperiali, Class of 1922 Professor of Biology and professor of chemistry

Probing the function of key proteins

Professor Barbara Imperiali creates better biochemical tools for basic biology and drug development.

January 12, 2017

MIT affiliates were well represented in the 2017 Forbes 30 Under 30, honoring young leaders.

At least 30 from MIT named to 2017 Forbes 30 Under 30 lists

Students, faculty, staff, and alumni honored in "the most definitive gathering of today’s leading young change-makers and innovators."

January 5, 2017

Competency exam certificate now available for MITx Introduction to Biology course

New option for online learners tests subject mastery and provides meaningful certificates for one of the most popular MITx courses.

January 3, 2017

This image shows triple-negative breast cancer cells with high levels of “Mena invasive” protein and treated with Paclitaxel. The cell cytoskeleton is shown in blue, the dynamic microtubules are shown in green, and the stable microtubules are shown in red.

Biomarker could help guide cancer therapy, avoid drug resistance

Biologists link levels of Mena protein to breast cancer cells’ sensitivity to chemotherapy.

November 22, 2016

2016 MIT AAAS Fellows: (clockwise from top left) William Green, Wolfgang Ketterle, Howard Shrobe, and Elly Nedivi.

Four MIT faculty elected 2016 AAAS Fellows

Green, Ketterle, Nedivi, and Shrobe are among those recognized for their efforts toward advancing science.

November 21, 2016

MIT chemists have determined the structure of a bacterial enzyme that can produce biodegradable plastics, an advance that could help chemical engineers tweak the enzyme to make it even more industrially useful.

A step toward biodegradable plastics

Chemists discover structure of bacterial enzyme that generates useful polymers.

November 11, 2016

When cells suffer DNA damage, there are several different pathways that can kick in to help repair it, depending on the type of damage. Cells from different people and different tumors vary greatly in their ability to repair DNA damage, and scientists have been pursuing measurements of this ability as a way to predict how patients will respond to DNA-damaging chemotherapy.

Predicting cancer cells’ response to chemotherapy

Measuring DNA repair capability can reveal tumors’ sensitivity to drugs.

November 2, 2016

Susan Lindquist, pioneering biologist and former director of Whitehead Institute, dies at 67

Biology professor and mentor to many investigated protein folding and its role in disease.

October 28, 2016

2016 MassJAS presenters: (left to right) Alex Jayyosi, Aarushi Pendharkar, Christine Schremp, Tal Usvyatsky, Emma Kelly, Mary Zgurzynski, Evan Mizerak, and Natasha Garland.

From MIT to the national stage

MassJAS Symposium at MIT selects talented high school students to showcase their science research at the 2017 AAAS annual meeting.

October 13, 2016

Clockwise from top left: MIT professors Ed Boyden, Jacquin Niles, Feng Zhang, and Matthew Vander Heiden have been named HHMI Faculty Scholars.

Four MIT professors named inaugural Faculty Scholars

New program from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Simons Foundation, and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation supports early-career scientists.

September 22, 2016

MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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