News

Paying It Forward

MIT Spectrum

August 29, 2023

As the first person in his family to attend college, Digbijay (Jay) Mahat had the enthusiastic support of his father, who wanted his firstborn to receive the education he had not. Mahat vowed to seek the highest degree possible in what he considered the most prestigious discipline—science—to stay true to his father’s dreams as well as his own. Today, Mahat is a new father and an accomplished cancer researcher who considers humanity and public service to be every bit as important as education and science. Guided by advisors such as MIT Institute Professor Phillip Sharp, Mahat became a mentor with the belief that education can shape not only students’ professional trajectories but also the people they become. “The soft skills of working in a group, the culture of sharing resources, and compassion towards each other mold us into better citizens,” says Mahat, a 2021 recipient of the Peter Karches Mentorship Prize at the MIT Koch Institute. 

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Showing 1–10 of 481 stories

Congratulations to the 2023 Amon Award Winners 

MIT Koch Institute

September 12, 2023

The Koch Institute at MIT is pleased to announce the winners of the 2023 Angelika Amon Young Scientist Award, Johanna Gassler (Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Germany) and Ruxandra-Andreea Lambuta (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland). Gassler and Lambuta, selected for their commitment to discovery science, will present their research at the Koch Institute on Thursday, November 2. 

New Medium Mimics Metabolism

MIT Koch Institute

September 8, 2023

Scientists often use human cancer cells grown in the lab to test potential anticancer drugs. Yet, the culture medium used in the lab does not accurately represent the nutrients present in the body, leading to discrepancies in drug responses. In a study published in Cell Chemical Biology, the Vander Heiden Laboratory has developed a new culture medium that better mimics physiological nutrient levels, supports the proliferation of diverse cancer cell lines and is amenable to high-throughput screening. The group found that drugs targeting cancer cell metabolism showed the most significant differences in effectiveness between standard cell culture medium and theirs. These findings may help researchers understand why some drugs that worked well in the lab fail in real-life situations and provides a new tool for screening potential anticancer agents, especially those targeting cancer cell metabolism.

Better, Cheaper, Faster RNA Vaccine

MIT News

September 7, 2023

The Anderson Lab has engineered key vaccine components—both the nanoparticles that deliver the Covid-19 antigen, and the antigen itself—to boost immune response without a separate adjuvant. Such RNA vaccines could help reduce costs, reduce dosage needed, and potentially induce longer-lasting immunity. The vaccine may produce a strong enough response to be delivered intranasally.
 

KI Postdocs Named Banting Fellows

Government of Canada

September 5, 2023

Cheers to Erika Wang (Langer Lab and Jaklenec Group) and Binbin Ying (Langer and Traverso Labs) on being named Banting Postdoctoral Fellows by the Canadian government. The Banting Fellowship is a highly prestigious award that recognizes scholars who demonstrate outstanding potential to contribute positively to Canada's economic, social, and research-driven advancement. 

On the Shortlist for Cancer Grand Challenges Funding

Cancer Research UK

September 5, 2023

KI members Michael Birnbaum, Ömer Yilmaz, Brandon DeKosky and Regina Barzilay, as well as their MIT colleague Seychelle Vos, have been shortlisted by Cancer Research UK and the National Cancer Institute for the Cancer Grand Challenges as part of teams MATCHMAKERS, PROSPECT and KOODAC. If selected, these global, interdisciplinary teams will receive up to $25m to make radical progress against some of cancer’s toughest challenges.

Birnbaum and Yilmaz Granted Tenure

American Association for Cancer Research

August 31, 2023

Congratulations to Yadira Soto-Feliciano on receiving the AACR 2023 Gertrude B. Elion Cancer Research Award. She will use the award to support her work revealing cancer epigenomes through the lens of chromatin adaptor proteins. "The 2023 AACR Gertrude B. Elion Cancer Research Award is important to me because it recognizes the immense value of fundamental biomedical research in combating cancer," remarked Soto-Feliciano. "This prestigious honor inspires me to continue my pursuit of groundbreaking discoveries, ultimately aiming to make a meaningful impact in the lives of cancer patients."  

Paying It Forward

MIT Spectrum

August 29, 2023

As the first person in his family to attend college, Digbijay (Jay) Mahat had the enthusiastic support of his father, who wanted his firstborn to receive the education he had not. Mahat vowed to seek the highest degree possible in what he considered the most prestigious discipline—science—to stay true to his father’s dreams as well as his own. Today, Mahat is a new father and an accomplished cancer researcher who considers humanity and public service to be every bit as important as education and science. Guided by advisors such as MIT Institute Professor Phillip Sharp, Mahat became a mentor with the belief that education can shape not only students’ professional trajectories but also the people they become. “The soft skills of working in a group, the culture of sharing resources, and compassion towards each other mold us into better citizens,” says Mahat, a 2021 recipient of the Peter Karches Mentorship Prize at the MIT Koch Institute. 

Self-Assembling Cell Scaffold

MIT News

August 15, 2023

In a Cell Reports study, the Calo Lab shows that a single self-assembling protein acts as a scaffold for a biomolecular condensate that forms part of the nucleolus, a cell organelle. Biomolecular condensates—loosely formed assemblies of molecules—perform many key functions and are linked to disorders such as ALS, Huntingdon’s disease, and cancer.

Belcher Lab Receives Funding for BRCA Research

Gray Foundation

August 10, 2023

Angela Belcher will lead one of seven teams supported by the Gray Foundation for the study of new approaches for prevention, early detection, and interception of BRCA-related cancers. Other teams selected will be led by Joan Brugge (Harvard Medical School), Dipanjan Chowdhury (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute), Amy Degnim (Mayo Clinic), Shawn Demehri (Massachusetts General Hospital), Judy Garber (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute), and Kenneth Olive (Columbia University). The grants are part of the foundation’s ongoing Team Science program, which funds innovative BRCA-related collaborative research.     The Gray Foundation’s Mindy and Jon Gray commented: “As we double down on our Team Science program, it is our fervent hope that families have far better options than exist today. We are inspired to support this cutting-edge research across institutions as we continue to make progress in early detection, prevention, and interception of BRCA-related cancers.”      

Eye on the STING Pathway

MIT News

August 3, 2023

The Irvine Lab showed a surprising new role for the immune-regulating protein STING in a study appearing in Science, done in collaboration with the Blainey Lab and the Broad Institute’s Hacohen group. The researchers found that in addition to turning on genes involved in cell defense, the STING protein also acts as an ion channel—mechanisms involved in cell signaling and bioelectrics. This is the first human immune sensor found to translate danger signals into ion flow. The findings could help researchers improve cancer therapies targeting STING, so that they stimulate the immune system to destroy tumors without damaging healthy tissues.