Jaenisch Lab

Whitehead Institute researchers are uncovering new ways that genes are regulated that upend existing paradigms of gene expression and provide important insights into health and disease. This collection of stories and multimedia explores that research.

Michael Gallagher is a postdoc working jointly in the labs of Whitehead Institute Founding Member Rudolf Jaenisch and Whitehead Institute Member Richard Young investigating gene regulation in neurodegenerative diseases.

Using a genome-wide CRISPR screen in neural progenitor cells, Whitehead Institute scientists uncover what the Zika virus needs to infect human cells

Whitehead Institute Member Rudolf Jaenisch and Shawn Liu, a postdoc in his lab, were chosen for the honor by STAT staff

Fragile X syndrome is the most frequent cause of intellectual disability in males, affecting 1 out of 3600 boys born. For the first time, researchers at Whitehead Institute have restored activity to the fragile X syndrome gene in affected neurons using a modified CRISPR/Cas9 system they developed.

The Whitehead Institute community has lost Landon Clay, a true friend and an avid supporter of the Institute’s scientific mission and research. 

Whitehead researchers provide insight into a specific gene pathway that appears to regulate the growth, structure, and organization of the human cortex. They also demonstrate that 3D human cerebral organoids--miniature, lab-grown versions of specific brain structures--can be effective in modeling the molecular, cellular, and anatomical processes of human brain development. And they suggest a new path for identifying the cells affected by Zika virus.