Evolution + Development

An intricate set of processes govern how cells know where to go and what to become during development. In this article, learn how Whitehead Institute researchers are investigating the various biological mechanisms that serve as the architects of life forms.

Research from Whitehead Institute Member Peter Reddien’s lab identifies a gene expressed in the skin that covers a wound as essential for regeneration to occur after large injuries in planarians.

Evolution is often furthered through conflict. New research from the lab of Whitehead Institute Member Mary Gehring zeros in on how parent plants butt heads over control of gene expression in the nutrient rich tissue called the endosperm.

Researchers in the lab of Whitehead Institute Member Iain Cheeseman explore the developmental origins of a body plan in bat stars.

A new screening method from the labs of Whitehead Institute Member Jonathan Weissman, Britt Adamson at Princeton University, and Editas Medicine provides a deeper look at how cells repair DNA damage. The method could help researchers assess the action of new gene editing methods. 

Some of the most important tools in researchers’ toolkits are the model organisms they use to study biological questions. How do researchers decide which species, out of the millions that exist, to develop as models? Whitehead Institute researchers have had a hand in establishing and promoting the use of several model organisms over the years.

The new system streamlines the process of fermenting plant sugar to fuel by helping yeast survive industrial toxins.