New insights into a hidden process that protects cells from harmful mutations
Research reveals how cells may activate a compensation system that can reduce the effects of harmful genetic mutations. This could inform gene therapy development.
3 Questions: Exploring the mechanisms underlying changes during infection
Zuri Sullivan, a new assistant professor of biology and Whitehead Institute member, studies why we get sick, and whether aspects of illness, such as disrupted appetite, contribute to host defense.
MIT HEALS leadership charts a bold path for convergence in health and life sciences
Angela Koehler, Iain Cheeseman, and Katharina Ribbeck are shaping the collaborative as a platform for transformative research, translation, and talent development across MIT.
School of Science welcomed new faculty in 2024
Eleven new professors join the departments of Biology; Brain and Cognitive Sciences; Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences; Mathematics; and Physics.
Alternate proteins from the same gene contribute differently to health and rare disease
New findings may help researchers identify genetic mutations that contribute to rare diseases, by studying when and how single genes produce multiple versions of proteins.
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.
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.
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.
Restoring healthy gene expression with programmable therapeutics
CAMP4 Therapeutics is targeting regulatory RNA, whose role in gene expression was first described by co-founder and MIT Professor Richard Young.
At the core of problem-solving
Stuart Levine ’97, director of MIT’s BioMicro Center, keeps departmental researchers at the forefront of systems biology.
AI model deciphers the code in proteins that tells them where to go
Whitehead Institute and CSAIL researchers created a machine-learning model to predict and generate protein localization, with implications for understanding and remedying disease.
Cellular traffic congestion in chronic diseases suggests new therapeutic targets
Chronic diseases like diabetes are prevalent, costly, and challenging to treat. A common denominator driving them may be a promising new therapeutic target.