News

MIT Advocacy in Action at the AACR’s 2025 Hill Day

Koch Institute

May 29, 2025

MIT Koch Institute postdoc Meaghan McGeary traveled to Washington, DC to advocate for increased federal funding for cancer research as part of the annual American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Hill Day. Joining other early-career scientists in a mission to make more than 50 congressional visits in a single day, she shared her experiences with policymakers, emphasizing the importance of stable research funding.

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Michelson Prize for Michael Birnbaum

Human Vaccines Project

August 7, 2020

Michael Birnbaum received the Michelson Prize for Human Immunology and Vaccine Research 2020 to identify target antigens for HIV vaccine development. His team's novel methodology for studying immune cells' antigen recognition repertoire has multiple applications for other diseases, including cancer and COVID-19, and exemplifies the type of promising early career research supported by the prize.

Shedding Metabolite on Pancreatic Cancer

eLife

August 4, 2020

Vander Heiden Lab researchers are using a novel nutrient-labeling approach to understand metabolic differences between cell types. A new study published in eLife examines enzyme activity of tumor cells and fibroblasts in organoid cell cultures and mouse models of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, and suggests potential pathways for curtailing tumor growth.

Nanoparticles on Trachea to Greatness

MIT News

August 3, 2020

Bhatia Lab researchers are breathing new life into their signature protease activity nanosensors. Chemical modifications to synthetic biomarkers (previously used to develop urinary diagnostics for pneumonia and cancer) allow the nanoparticles to release a peptide-based "breath signal" in the presence of respiratory disease. The re-engineered system, described in Nature Nanotechnology, can be used for both diagnosis and monitoring of disease progression or treatment. The researchers are modeling future iterations of the technology on inhalers and breathalyzer tests, and hope to use it to detect specific pathogens such as the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Standing Up to Pancreatic Cancer

Stand Up to Cancer

August 3, 2020

Congratulations to Will Freed-Pastor and fellow Lustgarten Laboratory for Pancreatic Cancer Research at MIT researchers on the receipt of a Phillip A. Sharp Innovation in Collaboration Award from Stand Up To Cancer. The Jacks Lab/Dana Farber Cancer Institute team, in conjunction with researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, will use tumor organoids and engineered T cells to develop novel interventions against pancreatic cancer.

Wittrup Lab Sticks It To Tumors

Cullinan Oncology

July 27, 2020

The Wittrup Lab's "Velcro vaccine" is the not-so-secret weapon behind Cullinan Oncology's newly launched subsidiary, Cullinan Amber. The company aims to enhance cytokine-based immunotherapy using the lab's collagen-binding technology, which confines these powerful yet toxic treatments to the tumor microenvironment.

There's No Place Like Proteome

MIT Sloan School of Management

July 22, 2020

A new proteomic analysis platform combining a panel of engineered nanoparticles' protein chemistry and machine learning could open up new avenues to predict, diagnose, and treat disease. In a study appearing in Nature Communications, a team including Robert Langer and other researchers from MIT, Harvard Medical School, Seer and elsewhere, analyzed the proteome in an unbiased, unconstrained manner, and with a depth, breadth, and speed not previously possible. As proof-of-concept, the study demonstrated the platform could be used for the accurate detection of early-stage lung cancer.

Facing Down Mask Shortages

Boston Globe

July 22, 2020

A team of researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Koch Institute unveiled their prototype model for a reusable silicone face mask. The design, published in British Medical Journal Open, uses scalable manufacturing technology to produce an easily sterilizable, N95-filter-ready mask for use by health care providers and the general public. Following successful fit and breathability testing in the clinic, the team is working on a second version with improved comfort and durability.

Dissecting Discrimination

WBUR

July 10, 2020

Picture a Scientist combines hard data and personal experience to continue the conversation begun by Nancy Hopkins in “A Study on the Status of Women Faculty in Science at MIT.” Documenting the story behind the landmark report, the film examines the persistence of gender discrimination and the considerable barriers facing women scientists—particularly women of color—over the last two decades.

Sizing Up Cell Growth

PNAS

July 10, 2020

Manalis Lab researchers engineered a larger version of their signature microfluidic mass measurement technology to investigate how cell size and cell cycle contribute to cell growth. The study, published in PNAS, reveals that a cell's growth efficiency is primarily determined by its cell cycle state, not its size, and lays the groundwork for using these devices to monitor growth in large cells and 3D clusters with high resolution. The work was supported in part by the Koch Institute Frontier Research Program through the Kathy and Curt Marble Cancer Research Fund and the MIT Center for Cancer Precision Medicine.

Making Heads and Tails of Metastasis

Cancer Research

July 7, 2020

A new Cancer Research paper draws on Image Award-winning research to explore the influence of the YAP gene on metastasis. Using a transparent zebrafish model and time lapse imaging, Hynes Lab researchers tracked the movement of tumor cells through the vasculature, determining that YAP promotes active migration within small blood vessels and wider dissemination throughout the body. Working with the Manalis Lab to corroborate these findings in a mouse model, the team demonstrated how a single gene can affect global patterns of metastasis. The research was supported in part by the Ludwig Center for Molecular Oncology at MIT.