Jaenisch Lab

The International Society for Transgenic Technologies (ISTT) has awarded Whitehead Institute Founding Member Rudolf Jaenisch the ISTT Prize, recognizing his exceptional contribution to the field of animal transgenesis over the past five decades.

Whitehead Institute Founding Member Rudolf Jaenisch and colleagues have uncovered how the Rett syndrome disease gene plays a key role in the expression of many other neuronal genes, expanding our understanding of the biology of Rett syndrome and, potentially, autism spectrum disorder.

Whitehead Institute Founding Member Rudolf Jaenisch and colleagues found that SARS-Cov-2 can infect sensory neurons and alter their gene expression. This may help to explain the peripheral nervous system symptoms associated with Covid-19, such as loss of smell.

Research from Whitehead Institute Member Yukiko Yamashita’s lab finds that a retrotransposon, a genetic element often thought of as a parasite, actually plays an important role in rejuvenating an important region of DNA, preserving fertility in flies.

Once considered genomic “junk,” repetitive sequences in DNA are being discovered to have important roles in our biology. Whitehead Institute researchers are investigating different types of these repeated sequences, from repetitive DNA regions to excessive repeats within genes, in order to understand what roles they play in cells and how they contribute to health and disease.

Whitehead Institute researchers are making discoveries that are helping us rethink what we know about the brain and paving the way for therapies to treat some of the most challenging brain disorders and diseases.

Read about brain-related research at Whitehead Institute.

New research from Whitehead Institute Founding Member Rudolf Jaenisch’s lab adds evidence to their finding that SARS-CoV-2 can integrate into the human genome, but finds that a model of the mRNA vaccine does not integrate.

Climate change and economic development are increasing our risk of being infected by parasites and harmful viruses and bacteria. Whitehead Institute researchers are leveraging their expertise to better assess where pathogens will spread and evaluate their risk to humans.

Whitehead Institute Founding Member Rudolf Jaenisch and colleagues have developed molecular genetic tools that can rescue neurons affected by Rett syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder linked to intellectual disability.