Congratulations to Whitehead Institute trainees Elizabeth Black, Juntao Yu, and Tatsat Banerjee for being named as Damon Runyon Fellows — 3 of just 13 selected nationwide!
Learn more about their efforts to advance cancer research: tinyurl.com/4dvhtzwr
This work, published in @pnas.org, also identifies the mechanisms that help determine whether a cell will self-renew, differentiate, or revert to a stem cell state.
Yamashita shares more the findings in a conversation with @pnas.org:
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Stem cells can both renew themselves and give rise to cells that differentiate into specialized types like lung cells or blood cells.
Now, a new study out of the Yamashita Lab uncovers how cells are able to preserve stem cell potential while adopting distinct identities.
tinyurl.com/469utx4p
We’re #hiring! Join our Institute Advancement team as Director, Foundation & Corporate Relations. In this role, you’ll work with foundations and corporate partners to garner philanthropic support, helping ensure sustained funding for the innovative science happening in our labs: tinyurl.com/982cjhpt
Autism has a significant and enduring sex bias, with roughly four boys diagnosed for every girl.
New research from the Page Lab offers a genetic explanation for this disparity — one that may also extend to 17 other pediatric conditions that show similar sex biases.
tinyurl.com/yzfvkpj4
Announcement for Ruth Lehmann's talk on reconstructing biomolecular condensates for translation, on March 27 at 11am GMT.
Interested in biomolecular condensates?
Don’t miss tomorrow’s #LMBSeminar by Ruth Lehmann, @remlehmann.bsky.social, Director of the @whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social, MIT, at 11am (GMT) on Friday 27th March.
More information: mrclmb.ac.uk/news-events/...
Portrait of Ruth Lehmann, researcher at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, MIT, promoting a talk on reconstructing biomolecular condensates for translation.
Just one week until the next #LMBSeminar!
Join us to hear Ruth Lehmann, Director of @whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social, discuss “Reconstructing biomolecular condensates for translation”
Starts 11am (GMT) on Friday 27th March.
More details: mrclmb.ac.uk/news-events/...
MicroRNAs fine-tune gene activity but how do cells control their lifespan?
New study out of the Bartel Lab, in collaboration with @mpibiochem.bsky.social, reveals a “two-factor authentication” system that selectively eliminates specific microRNAs: shorturl.at/03gAe
In a new study from the @whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social, Drs. Yukiko Yamashita, Romain Lannes, and Adrienne Fontan identified a cellular defect that contributes to reproductive incompatibility.
🧪 Abstract: https://bit.ly/3P4Jnp6
🗞️ Press release: https://bit.ly/4smOPCJ
Whitehead Institute scientists, trainees, and staff members bring precision and creativity to everything they do — even baking.
Here are some snapshots from yesterday’s belated Pi(e) Day celebration.
When closely related species mate, their offspring sometimes survive but can’t reproduce.
New work from the Yamashita Lab shows that in hybrid male fruit flies, large Y-chromosome genes fail during RNA processing preventing sperm development: shorturl.at/MGyZe
Congratulations to alum Patrik Ernfors on receiving The Brain Prize.
In his reflections, he credits Whitehead Institute Founding Member Rudolf Jaenisch with teaching him the scientific independence that helped him start his own lab: shorturl.at/Hvq5g
Help ProtGPS win #STATMadness by casting your vote today!
This AI tool developed at Whitehead Institute and Massachusetts Institute of Technology predicts which parts of the cell a protein will reside in, helping researchers develop effective therapies for a range of diseases.
🗳️ shorturl.at/dxYjA
Earlier this week, Whitehead Institute hosted the 2026 AI: Advancing Foundational Biology Symposium, exploring how artificial intelligence is accelerating biological discovery.
Sign up for our newsletter, Inflection, for a deeper dive into the event: eepurl.com/iPJtfc
Whitehead Institute Member Jonathan Weissman joins the newly funded ILLUMINE team to tackle the “dark proteome” — proteins expressed by cancer cells that don’t map to known genes.
Their goal? Opening doors to new treatments for hard-to-treat cancers: tinyurl.com/bdctybxk
@statnews.com has selected us to compete in this year’s #STATMadness!
Cast your vote today for ProtGPS, an AI tool developed in the Young Lab in collaboration with Regina Barzilay at @csail.mit.edu, that predicts protein localization in health and disease.
🗳️ shorturl.at/dxYjA
In a conversation with Inside Precision Medicine, alumna
@ayzhou.bsky.social, who trained in the lab of Whitehead Institute Founding Member Robert Weinberg, reflects on her journey from early lab work to leadership in cancer immunotherapy.
Tune in here: shorturl.at/GvCoZ
Members of the real estate and science communities came together last night to hear from real estate developer David Clem and MIT historian Robin Scheffler the story of how Kendall Square transformed into a dense biotechnology cluster. A few highlights from the evening 📸
A packed auditorium, voices from across labs, departments, and roles, and a window into the experiences that make our community unique. The inaugural Whitehead Story Slam was truly special.
Summary of germ cell development in various model organisms
Germ cell development across model organisms
From our #Review: How germ granules promote germ cell fate
by Melissa C. Pamula & Ruth Lehmann @remlehmann.bsky.social @whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social
Free to read here: rdcu.be/e05TK
From co-creating the first transgenic mice to showing the therapeutic potential of iPScs — adult skin or blood cells reprogrammed into an embryonic stem cell-like state — Jaenisch has helped shape modern regenerative medicine.
@cp-cellstemcell.bsky.social covers the journey: shorturl.at/qRxyj
Meet Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite that infects 1 in 4 people worldwide 🔬
Whitehead Institute’s Sebastian Lourido joins MIT President Sally Kornbluth on Curiosity Unbounded to unpack the biology of toxo and what it can teach us about other parasitic infections.
🎧 Tune in: tinyurl.com/mr852ksh
Pigeon pea is a vital protein source in Asia & Africa but breeding hardier varieties is tough because of limited genetic diversity. The Gehring Lab has a new chemical method to introduce traits that could help crops, including pigeon pea, perform better, potentially boosting global food security 1/2
Purchase ticket at mitmuseum.mit.edu/programs/the...
Time is one of biology’s most powerful forces ⏳
Join us at the MIT Museum on Jan. 21 for a public conversation on how cells keep time and change across early development and aging. Featuring Siniša Hrvatin and @remlehmann.bsky.social
No prior science background needed — just bring your curiosity.
Some of medicine’s biggest breakthroughs have come from collaborations between clinicians and basic scientists. Bridge Across the Charles brings together scientists, physician-scientists and clinicians to spark partnerships that'll drive the next wave of advances in patient care. shorturl.at/WN5yL
“I want everyone in my lab to be exposed to many ways of thinking about biology,” says Whitehead Institute’s newest Member, immunologist Zuri Sullivan. “Creative science often comes from making connections across systems, and Whitehead is uniquely well-suited for that.”
shorturl.at/EFsmh
Friends, family members, colleagues, and mentees gathered to celebrate the life and legacy of Whitehead Institute's Founding Director, David Baltimore. A globally respected researcher and academic leader, Baltimore shaped the careers of generations of scientists and educators.
🔗 shorturl.at/tHADF
Latest from Whitehead Institute's AI Fellow Na Sun 👇
Learn more about her work at the intersection of AI and biology: shorturl.at/K1AXP
