News

When genetic information is passed along to offspring, different versions of the same gene typically have equal chances of being transmitted. But some “selfish” genes break this rule to stack the odds in their favor. Whitehead Institute Member Yukiko Yamashita and colleagues have discovered one such gene—except it also uses a novel mechanism to limit its own “selfishness”.

Whitehead Institute Member, MIT Professor of Biology, and HHMI Investigator Yukiko Yamashita has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is part of everyday life and has innumerable uses — from summarizing a book or designing a poster, to recommending a TV show or parking your car. But how can AI be useful in biology? In this video narrated by Whitehead Institute Member Rick Young, learn how scientists are taking advantage of AI to greatly accelerate biological discoveries.

Recent symposium at Whitehead Institute convened researchers working at the intersection of AI and biology.

Click here to view the latest multimedia piece in the Unusual Labmates series and learn more about how researchers at Whitehead Institute are using bat biology to study questions about viral infection, immunity, cold tolerance, and more. 

Whitehead Institute Member Sebastian Loiurido has been awarded the Tulane University School of Science and Engineering’s 2025 Science and Engineering Outstanding Alumni Award for Professional Excellence.

Michelle Frank is a postdoc in Whitehead Institute Member David Bartel’s lab studying how brain cells regulate RNA to flexibly adapt to different inputs. We sat down with Michelle to learn more about her and her experiences in and out of the lab.

Whitehead Institute Member Siniša Hrvatin and colleagues  show that inducing a prolonged state of dormancy in mice slows down progressive molecular changes associated with aging. The work also identifies decreased body temperature as a central regulator of this anti-aging effect.

Questions about biology, human health, and disease from area students answered by Whitehead Institute scientists in our Ask a Scientist series. Watch the latest Ask a Scientist video or learn more at BioNook.

Henry Kilgore is a postdoc in Whitehead Institute Member Richard Young’s lab working on understanding how protein chemistry influences where in the cell proteins localize. We sat down with Henry to learn more about him and his experiences in and out of the lab.