Whitehead Institute Member Siniša Hrvatin is studying tardigrades to decode the mechanisms enabling their survival in extreme environmental conditions. Learn about the biology of these microscopic “water bears” and what makes them a particularly fascinating model organism. Click here to view the full multimedia story.
Whitehead Institute Member Siniša Hrvatin is studying tardigrades to decode the mechanisms enabling their survival in extreme environmental conditions. Learn about the biology of these microscopic “water bears” and what makes them a particularly fascinating model organism.
Whitehead Institute Member Sebastian Lourido and colleagues performed the first genome-wide screen of Toxoplasma gondii in live hosts, uncovering genes that are important for infection but had been undetected in cell culture experiments. Their results demonstrate the importance of studying parasites in live hosts and point to a possible new drug target.
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.
Repeated sequences of DNA are everywhere. In fact, two thirds of the human genome are made of repetitive elements. With this cartoon explainer, learn how repetitive DNA plays a role in health and disease.
Research from Whitehead Institute Member Jonathan Weissman and colleagues sheds light on human evolution, and demonstrates an approach for identifying significant differences in how genes are used between closely-related species.
A new study reveals that the protein MTCH2, which is essential in a variety of cellular processes, is responsible for shuttling various other proteins into the membrane of mitochondria. The finding could have implications for cancer treatments and provides insight into a variety of MTCH2-linked conditions.
