Young Lab

Researchers in Whitehead Institute Member Richard Young’s lab and colleagues at MIT show that a machine learning model can predict which subcellular compartments a drug will concentrate in based on its chemical features. This could be used to design safer and more effective drugs, and to understand how subcellular compartments govern diverse biochemical processes.

In an increasingly interconnected and complex world, collaboration is more important than ever for progress in science. By coming together, scientists can share knowledge and ideas to solve complex problems, learn new skills, and advance their careers. Researchers at Whitehead Institute recognize the importance of collaboration when taking on big challenges in science.

Jesse Platt is a postdoc in Whitehead Institute Member Richard Young’s lab studying mechanisms of insulin resistance. He is also a practicing gastroenterologist and hepatologist. We sat down with Jesse to learn more about him and his experiences in and out of the lab.

Whitehead Institute researchers have uncovered a molecular mechanism underlying type 2 diabetes. The new finding reveals that insulin receptors, the signaling molecules that sense insulin, normally function by clustering together in cells and that this clustering is defective in insulin resistance, the basis of type 2 diabetes. The researchers hope that this work will bring about a better understanding of diabetes at a molecular level and lead to the development of new therapies.