Biologists identify a cellular pathway that allows colorectal cancer to metastasize
They also found that obesity may put patients at higher risk for activation of the pathway. Drugs that block the pathway may help prevent metastasis.
Department
Biology
Finding purpose through research
This summer, BSG-MSRP-Bio student Marina Milea investigated how lung cancers become resistant to targeted therapies, gaining hands-on research experience in the Jacks Lab at the Koch Institute.
MIT Quantum Initiative launches postdoctoral fellowship program
The Institute welcomes its first cohort of QMIT Fellows this fall to advance interdisciplinary quantum research.
Looking beyond natural sequences
A new machine-learning framework aims to improve the success rate of computational protein design while moving away from results that reproduce sequences found in nature.
Cells use a little-known molecule to protect themselves from iron overload
This discovery points toward new combination strategies against cancer, and may explain the iron buildup seen in disorders such as early-onset Parkinson’s disease.
How the Toxoplasma parasite adapts to crowded conditions in host cells
A new study by Whitehead Institute researchers identifies how the widespread parasite Toxoplasma gondii survives in crowded environments in infected cells, which helps it persist in long-lasting brain cysts.
DNA shaper steers nervous system development
A study of worms finds a protein that helps shape the structure of the genome is critical for establishing the identity of some neurons.
MIT Professor Susumu Tonegawa, renowned molecular biologist and Nobel laureate, dies at 86
Tonegawa made landmark discoveries about how the immune system generates antibody diversity and how the brain forms memories.
Ketogenic diets may increase cancer risk in the small intestine
MIT researchers have found that a ketogenic high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet fuels the growth of intestinal tumors.
Why are some bacterial genes high in purines?
In certain species of bacteria, the answer lies in shielding RNA transcripts from a quality-control factor called Rho. Understanding the requirements for expressible sequences is critical for expression engineering of therapeutic agents.
Two MIT faculty members named 2026 Pew Biomedical Scholars
Cell biologist Whitney Henry and immunologist Harikesh Wong will receive four years of flexible funding to advance early-career research on ferroptosis and immune decision-making.
Meet the leader of the Department of Biology’s all-important “kitchen”
Karen O’Leary, lab associate and acting supervisor in the Glassware Sterilization Facility (a.k.a. “the kitchen”), has become a cornerstone of the department’s operations.
QS ranks MIT the world’s No. 1 university for 2026-27
Ranking at the top for the 15th year in a row, the Institute also places first in 12 subject areas.
Harriet having it all
From Boston to Moscow and across the U.S., Harriet Latham Robinson SM ’61, PhD ’65 has balanced an exciting career at the forefront of molecular biology with family, friends, and adventure.
Advancing stem cell research and building the next generation of biologists
Biology PhD student Giselle Valdes studies stem cell regeneration while encouraging aspiring students and researchers.