How early-stage cancer cells hide from the immune system
A new study finds precancerous colon cells turn on a gene called SOX17, which helps them evade detection and develop into more advanced tumors.
Noninvasive technique reveals how cells’ gene expression changes over time
MIT researchers can now track a cell’s RNA expression to investigate long-term processes like cancer progression or embryonic development.
How cell identity is preserved when cells divide
MIT study suggests 3D folding of the genome is key to cells’ ability to store and pass on “memories” of which genes they should express.
Making genetic prediction models more inclusive
MIT computer scientists developed a way to calculate polygenic scores that makes them more accurate for people across diverse ancestries.
Thousands of programmable DNA-cutters found in algae, snails, and other organisms
New research finds RNA-guided enzymes called Fanzors are widespread among eukaryotic organisms.
A more effective experimental design for engineering a cell into a new state
By focusing on causal relationships in genome regulation, a new AI method could help scientists identify new immunotherapy techniques or regenerative therapies.
Decoding the complexity of Alzheimer’s disease
By analyzing epigenomic and gene expression changes that occur in Alzheimer’s disease, researchers identify cellular pathways that could become new drug targets.
Study explains why certain immunotherapies don’t always work as predicted
The findings could help doctors identify cancer patients who would benefit the most from drugs called checkpoint blockade inhibitors.
Study connects neural gene expression differences to functional distinctions
Researchers compared a pair of superficially similar motor neurons in fruit flies to examine how their differing use of the same genome produced distinctions in form and function.
It takes three to tango: transcription factors bind DNA, protein, and RNA
Whitehead Institute researchers find many transcription factors bind RNA, which fine-tunes their regulation of gene expression, suggesting new therapeutic opportunities.
Focus on function helps identify the changes that made us human
A new approach for identifying significant differences in gene use between closely-related species provides insights into human evolution.
Researchers uncover a new CRISPR-like system in animals that can edit the human genome
The first RNA-guided DNA-cutting enzyme found in eukaryotes, Fanzor could one day be harnessed to edit DNA more precisely than CRISPR/Cas systems.
Christopher Voigt named head of the Department of Biological Engineering
Synthetic biology expert to succeed Angela Belcher as department head effective Aug. 1.
River erosion can shape fish evolution, study suggests
The new findings could explain biodiversity hotspots in tectonically quiet regions.
Gene-editing technique could speed up study of cancer mutations
With the new method, scientists can explore many cancer mutations whose roles are unknown, helping them develop new drugs that target those mutations.