Wyss InstituteSynthetic Biology – Wyss Institute

Synthetic biology makes fateful decisions

Jessica Leff — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 13:30:09 +0000

By Jia LIU, Chinese Academy of Sciences Edited by Karen Pepper (BEIJING) – Cellular differentiation and a division of labor are essential to living systems as distinct cell types performing specialized functions arise in defined proportions and spatial arrangements. A central challenge in synthetic biology has therefore been how to program cells to autonomously diversify into multiple…

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Katharina Meyer on improving our understanding and treatment of bipolar disorder

Jessica Leff — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 15:10:58 +0000

The Humans of the Wyss (HOW) series features members of the Wyss community discussing their work, the influences that shape them as professionals, and their collaborations at the Wyss Institute and beyond. Katharina Meyer is exceptionally welcoming in both her personal and professional life. At home, this takes the form of studying and improving hosting skills by experimenting with cooking and…

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James Collins: Doing Good Science with an Underdog Spirit – The Pulse Podcast

Jessica Leff — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 17:11:57 +0000

James J. Collins is a founding Core Faculty member at the Wyss Institute and the Termeer Professor of Medical Engineering & Science and Professor of Biological Engineering at MIT. Jim serves as a director at the MIT Jameel Clinic, a member of the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences & Technology Faculty, and a member of the Broad Institute. Jim is also an elected member of all three national academies.

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Wyss Institute appoints three new Associate Faculty members: Ahmad Khalil, Jarad Mason, and Ting Wu

Jessica Leff — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 14:50:20 +0000

By Jessica Leff The Wyss Institute is proud to welcome three new Associate Faculty members: Ahmad (Mo) Khalil, Ph.D., Jarad Mason, Ph.D., and Chao-ting (Ting) Wu, Ph.D. Each has a history of collaborating with the Institute’s researchers. Their diverse expertise and fresh perspectives will further strengthen the Wyss’ innovative and collaborative ecosystem and enable pioneering advances in…

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eGenesis: from new genome engineering techniques to solving the organ donor shortage

Jessica Leff — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 17:50:29 +0000

Part of the Wyss Institute’s series on the positive, life-altering impact of federal research funding By Jessica Leff Nearly 90,000 people in the United States are waiting for a kidney transplant, and 11 people die every day while waiting for a kidney. Government funding for synthetic biology and gene therapy enabled the development of genome engineering technology that is used by a Wyss…

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How federal funds fuel life-saving innovation

Jessica Leff — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 17:49:40 +0000

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George Church on Widespread Genomic Sequencing, Xenotransplantation, and Shepherding Change

Jessica Leff — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 20:46:55 +0000

In this interview, GenomeWeb speaks to Core Faculty member George Church, Ph.D., who is also a professor at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology. A thinker, inventor, and collaborator extraordinaire, Church’s technologies and personality catalyzed the Human Genome Project, the Personal Genome Project, and more than 50 biotech startups…

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Sustainable Futures: creating a healthy planet for all

Jessica Leff — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 14:22:07 +0000

By Seth Kroll The planet’s health directly impacts human health. Plastic pollution, unsustainable manufacturing, and carbon-intensive material production are accelerating a planetary crisis that demands urgent solutions. At the Wyss Institute, our Sustainable Futures Initiative is tackling this Grand Challenge by re-designing the systems we rely on, from farming to materials and manufacturing…

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PFASense: Fast, In-Field Testing for Forever Chemicals

Jessica Leff — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 13:53:50 +0000

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a class of “forever chemicals,” are synthetic compounds that have been used since the 1940s to manufacture products like nonstick cookware, firefighting foams, food packaging, and many more. While they have helpful properties, PFAS do not readily degrade in the environment or the human body. As a result, they have accumulated in drinking water, soil…

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GeneSkin: A Novel mRNA Therapy for Skin and Hair Rejuvenation

Jessica Leff — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 13:44:27 +0000

More than 1.9 billion people worldwide suffer from some form of skin disease or cosmetic issue, including acne, eczema, scars, wrinkles, and hair loss. However, dermatological research has only brought limited therapeutic progress for skin rejuvenation, scar treatment, and hair loss in recent decades. While many of these conditions share a common root in the declining function of the skin’s stem…

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