News

Epigenetics Goes State of the Art

Journal of Clinical Oncology

January 27, 2025

Omega Therapeutics, founded by Rudolf Jaenisch and Richard Young, announced that has established clinical proof-of-mechanism and validation of epigenomic controllers as a potential new class of medicines from its completed Phase 1 MYCHELANGELO™ trial targeting the c-MYC oncogene in hepatocellular carcinoma, or liver cancer.
 

Langer lauded for lipids

Camurus Lipid Science Foundation

January 27, 2025

Congratulations to Robert Langer for receiving the 2025 Lipid Science Prize from the Camurus Lipid Research Foundation! Langer was recognized for his groundbreaking interdisciplinary research developing lipids and polymers that have revolutionized biomedical applications from drug delivery systems to tissue regeneration.

Introducing the 2024 Karches Prize winners

January 24, 2025

Congratulations to the winners of the 2024 Peter Karches Mentorship Prize — Shandon Amos, Christina Cabana, Ivan Pires, and Jason Yu.

The Peter Karches Mentorship Prize is awarded annually to up to four Koch Institute postdocs, graduate students or research technicians who demonstrate exemplary mentorship of undergraduate researchers or high school students in their labs. The prize allows the Koch Institute community to celebrate and recognize the critical role that mentors play, both personally and professionally, in the early stages of a scientist’s career.

Be aware of the blob

Scientific American

January 21, 2025

Scientific American explains how the discovery of biomolecular condensates— blobs of DNA, protein, and other molecules—has changed our understanding of how cells carry out critical functions. Startups are working to turn new insights into new therapies, including Dewpoint Therapeutics, co-founded by Richard Young and Phillip Sharp to treat cancer and other diseases.

Cima bladder device reaches FDA application

MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering

January 21, 2025

Johnson & Johnson has submitted a new drug application to the FDA for an implantable device developed by the Cima lab to make treating bladder cancer safer, more effective and less costly. The application follows promising clinical trial results, which showed an 83.5% complete response rate among patients, and earlier Breakthrough Designation status.

Angela Belcher and Paula Hammond win 2024 National Medals of Science, Technology

MIT News

January 3, 2025

Congratulations to MIT's latest National Medals of Science and Technology laureates, including the Koch Institute's own Angela Belcher and Paula Hammond!

Belcher was honored for her work designing novel materials for applications that include solar cells, batteries, and medical imaging, while Hammond was honored for developing methods for assembling thin films that can be used for drug delivery, wound healing, and many other applications.

Bridging Science and Human Impact

MIT News

December 23, 2024

Giovanni Traverso, featured on MIT News, reflects on his early passion for molecular genetics and how it shaped his interdisciplinary career focused on improving human health. Leading the Laboratory for Translational Engineering, Giovanni's team is pioneering biomedical technologies that aim to help people.      

Barzilay’s Boltz-1 Boosts Biomolecular Modeling

MIT News

December 17, 2024

MIT researchers including Regina Barzilay and graduate students Jeremy Wohlwend and Gabriele Corso have released Boltz-1, a powerful AI model that accurately predicts the 3D structures of proteins and other biological molecules. Boltz-1 is the first fully open-source model that achieves state-of-the-art performance at the level of Google DeepMind’s AlphaFold3.

Launch of MIT HEALS

MIT News

December 9, 2024

MIT announced the launch of a new, campus-wide initiative to strengthen and expand interdisciplinary collaborations to take on some of the world’s most pressing health challenges. MIT Health and Life Sciences Collaborative (MIT HEALS) will draw on the Institute’s strengths in life sciences, artificial intelligence, chemical and biological engineering, and other fields to accelerate progress in improving patient care.

Tiny beads, big shift

MIT News

December 6, 2024

Ana Jaklenec, Bob Langer, and Rhoda Zhang have developed biodegradable materials that can be used to replace microplastics in beauty products.

Their work on creating microparticles to encapsulate vitamins for fortified foods, was published in Nature Chemical Engineering, and highlights their potential as eco-friendly microbeads. By reducing microplastics in consumer products, the team aims to mitigate environmental and health risks. Compounds released from microplastics are suspected to contribute to cancer and other diseases—roles currently being investigated by other Koch Institute laboratories.

In related news, the Jaklenec Lab will be partnering with Estée Lauder to advance biodegradable polymers in replace common cosmetics and cleansers, as well as ways to combat the effects of visible sunlight and blue light on skin.