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.
π³οΈ 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 βdark proteomeβ β proteins expressed by cancer cells that donβt 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 yearβs #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.
π³οΈ 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 πΈ
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 β adult skin or blood cells reprogrammed into an embryonic stem cell-like state β 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 π¬
Whitehead Instituteβs 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.
π§ 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 biologyβs most powerful forces β³
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 SiniΕ‘a Hrvatin and @remlehmann.bsky.social
No prior science background needed β just bring your curiosity.
Some of medicineβs 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
βI want everyone in my lab to be exposed to many ways of thinking about biology,β says Whitehead Instituteβs newest Member, immunologist Zuri Sullivan. βCreative science often comes from making connections across systems, and Whitehead is uniquely well-suited for that.β
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.
π shorturl.at/tHADF
Latest from Whitehead Institute's AI Fellow Na Sun π
Learn more about her work at the intersection of AI and biology: shorturl.at/K1AXP
Rare disease treatment relies on the combined efforts of clinicians, researchers, and families. Yet these people rarely find themselves in the same room. BridgeRD brought them together last week to address the challenges of understanding, diagnosing, and treating rare diseases.
π shorturl.at/pJXcu
Whitehead Instituteβs Innovation Centers are hubs of collaboration. Each center provides specialized expertise that expand what individual labs can achieve.
Read how this collaboration drives Whitehead Institute science forward: shorturl.at/jQTPM
World-renowned cell biologist Ron Vale will join Whitehead Institute this December as a Member. Known for discovering the motor protein kinesin, he will explore how proteins function under different stressorsβa direction that aligns with the Institute's focus on resilience.
π shorturl.at/28Gpl
"Our biggest struggle is connecting with clinicians," says @jimmy-ly.bsky.social, who co-organized the event with Dawn Chen of @broadinstitute.org. "When we see a mutation in ClinVar, we can't fully interpret its role in disease without patient context."
At BridgeRD today, clinicians and researchers are teaming up to tackle one of the biggest hurdles with rare diseases: connecting what's seen in the lab to patient experiences in the clinic. 1/2
#RareDisease #BridgeRD
Our Seminar Series for High School Teachers is underway! Postdoc Henry Kilgore of the Young Lab shared his latest research on how proteins reach their destinations within the cell.
Weβre thrilled to bring teachers and researchers together to help inspire the next generation of scientists!
From an accidental discovery of hidden biology to a new framework to understanding and diagnosing rare disease. Thrilled to share the most recent work from our lab and the amazing Jimmy Ly.
wi.mit.edu/news/alterna...
1/ Happy to share important work done with my co-author Andrew Khalil in the labs of Rudolf Jaenisch @whiteheadinstitute.bsky.social @mit.edu and David Mooney @harvard.edu @wyssinstitute.bsky.social trying to assess and fix the major problem of transgene silencing in human ESC/iPSC based work
"Fruit flies have a lot of fun gene names. Some of my favorites are Asterix and Obelix, which are named after a French comic book, because I have childhood associations with them," postdoc Julia Wucherpfennig says. wi.mit.edu/news/meet-wh... #WhiteheadPostdocProfiles
Panchito proudly sports his Whitehead bandana while plotting his next purrfect experiment. #PetsofWhitehead
Alumni, grab your own pet bandana by joining our alumni LinkedIn group: www.linkedin.com/groups/12483...
In celebration of Massachusetts STEM Week, students from Prospect Hill Academy Charter School toured the Yamashita lab and got an introduction to fruit fly research. Thanks to everyone who participated!
