With fractured genomes, Alzheimer’s neurons call for help
Study indicates ailing neurons may instigate an inflammatory response from the brain’s microglia immune cells.
Biologists glean insight into repetitive protein sequences
A computational analysis reveals that many repetitive sequences are shared across proteins and are similar in species from bacteria to humans.
Turning carbon dioxide into valuable products
Assistant Professor Ariel Furst and her colleagues are looking to DNA to help guide the process.
From bridges to DNA: civil engineering across disciplines
Johannes Kalliauer of MIT CSHub uses civil engineering principles to shed new light on molecular dynamics, concrete hinges, and flooding.
When cells’ tiny differences have far-reaching implications
Alex Shalek’s technologies for single-cell RNA profiling can help dissect the cellular bases of complex diseases around the globe.
New CRISPR-based map ties every human gene to its function
Jonathan Weissman and collaborators used their single-cell sequencing tool Perturb-seq on every expressed gene in the human genome, linking each to its job in the cell.
Tracing a cancer’s family tree to its roots reveals how tumors grow
Family trees of lung cancer cells reveal how cancer evolves from its earliest stages to an aggressive form capable of spreading throughout the body.
Structures considered key to gene expression are surprisingly fleeting
Study finds genome loops don’t last long in cells; theories of how loops control gene expression may need to be revised.
Yukiko Yamashita, unraveler of stem cells’ secrets
The MIT biologist’s research has shed light on the immortality of germline cells and the function of “junk DNA.”
An “oracle” for predicting the evolution of gene regulation
Researchers create a mathematical framework to examine the genome and detect signatures of natural selection, deciphering the evolutionary past and future of non-coding DNA.
Probing how proteins pair up inside cells
MIT biologists drilled down into how proteins recognize and bind to one another, informing drug treatments for cancer.
Making RNA vaccines easier to swallow
A pill that releases RNA in the stomach could offer a new way to administer vaccines, or to deliver therapies for gastrointestinal disease.
In Down syndrome cells, genome-wide disruptions mimic a senescence-like state
Extra chromosome alters chromosomal conformation and DNA accessibility in neural progenitor cells; study establishes senescence as a potentially targetable mechanism for future treatment.
Speeding up directed evolution of molecules in the lab
Using a new robotic platform, researchers can simultaneously track hundreds of microbial populations as they evolve new proteins or other molecules.
How molecular clusters in the nucleus interact with chromosomes
A new study finds the clusters form small, stable droplets and may give the genome a gel-like structure.