MIT Department of Biology

A functional nervous system depends on the cooperation of many kinds of cells. So as developing organisms build their nervous systems, their neurons must take on different forms and functions to fulfill their designated roles. That carefully orchestrated process gives rise to thousands of different cell types in the human brain. In the tiny worm […] The post DNA shaper steers nervous system devel…

A physician and neuroscientist who studies how anesthesia affects the brain; a leader in aerospace engineering, policy, and education; and the founding head of MIT’s Department of Biological Engineering have been awarded MIT’s highest faculty honor: the title of Institute Professor. With the appointments of Emery Brown, Daniel Hastings SM ’78, PhD ’80, and Douglas […] The post Douglas Lauffenburg…

In the study of bacteria, a longstanding dogma held that two molecular machines — RNA polymerase, which leads the way in transcribing DNA into RNA, and ribosomes, which bring up the rear translating RNA into proteins — worked so closely in tandem that they were effectively attached. This close coupling of transcription and translation in […] The post Why are some bacterial genes high in purines? …

Whitney Henry and Harikesh Wong have been named 2026 Pew Scholars in the Biomedical Sciences. The Pew Charitable Trusts announced the 21-member class of early-career researchers, which includes the two MIT scientists as well as two alumni, on June 16. Each scholar will receive four years of funding to pursue cutting-edge research into human health and disease. […] The post Two MIT faculty members…

Early mornings in the halls of Building 68 feature the sounds of rolling wheels on big metal carts, the rattling of glassware, the whooshing of faucets, and the clanking of autoclaves. These aren’t the sounds of researchers at work, but rather those of keeping the labs sterilized and stocked with the sundries of research: pipette […] The post Raised in the “Kitchen” appeared first on MIT Departme…

In winter 1997, at age 60, when many researchers might be looking forward to retirement, Harriet Latham Robinson SM ’61, PhD ’65 was pursuing a faculty position as the chief of microbiology and immunology at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. She got the job. There, she would also […] The post Harriet having it all appeared first on MIT Department…

As an undergraduate at Florida International University, Giselle Valdes tackled rigorous studies in the school’s Honors College while simultaneously caring for family members with medical needs. “I think that the choice to pursue any field in the space of biology and medical research was entirely shaped by having to be there for my family,” says […] The post Advancing stem cell research and build…

Within the past decade, biologists have discovered that one strategy cells use to keep their contents organized is a phenomenon known as phase separation. Similar to the way oil forms droplets that float in a vinegar solution, proteins inside cells can phase separate to form highly concentrated droplets that keep them organized within the cell. […] The post Enzymes that assemble into droplets can…

Seeds like wheat, rice, and corn are at the center of the global food supply and provide most of the daily calories consumed worldwide. But despite their importance, scientists still do not fully understand many of the basic biological processes that allow these seeds to grow, transport nutrients, and develop traits that determine crop resiliency. […] The post Scientists map which genes are activ…

Barrier organs that form boundaries between the body and the outside environment, such as the lungs, skin, and intestines, face a difficult balancing act. They must respond quickly to threats such as infection, but they also need to avoid triggering unnecessary inflammation that can damage the tissue. A new study led by Whitehead Institute member […] The post How tissues tune immune responses to …

MIT scientists Sven Dorkenwald and Whitney Henry have been named 2026 Searle Scholars, an award given annually to 15 exceptional early-career researchers in the fields of biomedical sciences and chemistry. Dorkenwald is an assistant professor of brain and cognitive sciences and an investigator at the McGovern Institute for Brain Research. Henry is the Robert A. Swanson (1969) Career […] The post …

Ribosomes, the cellular machines that assemble proteins, are made from dozens of proteins and RNA molecules. Putting all of those pieces together is a complex puzzle — one that MIT Associate Professor Joey Davis PhD ’10 revels in trying to solve. Understanding how these structures form and later break down could help researchers learn more […] The post Biologist Joey Davis explores how cells buil…

Symptoms such as fatigue, loss of appetite, altered sleep, and social withdrawal are often treated as inconvenient side effects of infection. While some scientists have suggested that they may serve a protective function, it is widely assumed that they’re byproducts of being sick. Now, in a new perspective published in Trends in Immunology on April 30, Whitehead […] The post Q&A: Why feeling sick…

Brenda Schafer Kennedy SM ’93 knows that sometimes the best medicine comes with four legs and fur. Kennedy is the chief veterinary and research officer for Canine Companions, a California-based, nationwide organization that provides assistance dogs at no cost to children, veterans, and adults with disabilities. “The need is enormous: One in four people in […] The post Alumni Spotlight: Caring for…

MIT Professor Michael T. Laub as well as 21 MIT alumni have been elected as fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The 2025 class of AAAS Fellows includes 449 scientists, engineers, and innovators, spanning all 24 of AAAS disciplinary sections, who are recognized for their scientific achievements. Laub, the Salvador […] The post Professor Michael Laub named 202…

What if the Trojan horse had been pulled to pieces, revealing the ruse and fending off the invasion, just as it entered the gates of Troy? That’s an apt description of a newly characterized bacterial defense system that chops up foreign DNA. Bacteria and the viruses that infect them, bacteriophages — phages for short — […] The post Slice and dice appeared first on MIT Department of Biology .