RNA

The Whitehead Fellows program is renowned for preparing emerging leaders in biomedical research and education. Two recent Fellows who made significant accomplishments while at the Institute are continuing that track record.

Whitehead Institute Member David Bartel’s lab has uncovered how a key shift in RNA regulation happens early in embryonic development, providing new insight into when and how genes are regulated differently during development.

Refresh your RNA basics before diving into the rest of the series! 

Unlike our own genomes, the genetic material of the novel coronavirus is RNA — and RNA also makes up some of the vaccines. Learn how the field of RNA biology has been working to meet the challenges of the virus, and what Whitehead Institute RNA researchers have been working on throughout the pandemic. 

Whitehead Institute researchers are studying how RNA molecules group together for the good of the cell and our health — and what happens when these groupings go awry.

Researchers at Whitehead Institute have made important discoveries that have uncovered the prevalence, characteristics, and functions of regulatory RNAs. Their work has transformed researchers’ understanding of gene regulation and revealed a complex, elegant system that tailors gene expression for each cell type and tissue.

A paper from the lab of Whitehead Institute Member Rudolf Jaenisch suggests that the genetic material of SARS-CoV-2 can integrate into the host cell genome and be expressed in some patient-derived tissues.

Whitehead Institute scientists investigate germ cells — the cells that never cease to exist