Molecular and Cellular

Picower Institute scientists probe the role of genes, proteins and molecules in the physiology and action of neurons and glia, including how synaptic connections change. To learn more about these or other areas of inquiry, select them under Research Topics and you'll find relevant Picower people, discoveries and events.

November 1, 2023

Picower Events

Seed projects, posters represent a wide range of labs working on technologies, therapeutic strategies, and fundamental research to advance understanding of age-related neurodegenerative disease

October 30, 2023

Picower People

Society for Neuroscience Award recognizes Professor Mark Bear’s synaptic plasticity research, its translation to potential amblyopia and autism treatments, and his career of mentorship.

September 28, 2023

Research Findings

By analyzing epigenomic and gene expression changes that occur in Alzheimer’s disease, researchers identify cellular pathways that could become new drug targets

September 18, 2023

Research Findings

Neurons stochastically generated up to eight different versions of a protein regulating neurotransmitter release, which could vary how they communicate with other cells

August 23, 2023

Research Findings

Researchers compared a pair of superficially similar motor neurons in fruit flies to examine how their differing use of the same genome produced distinctions in form and function

August 21, 2023

Research Findings

MIT researchers model and map how neurons across the tiny brain of a C. elegans worm encode its behaviors, revealing many new insights about the robustness and flexibility of its nervous system

August 3, 2023

Picower People

The paths three graduate students forged to the same Picower Institute lab illustrate the value of participating in the MIT Summer Research Program in Biology and Neuroscience.

June 22, 2023

Research Feature

Why studying simple organisms—none larger than the palm of your hand—is so integral to understanding nervous system health, disease and evolution.

June 1, 2023

Research Findings

MIT researchers characterize gene expression patterns for 22,500 brain vascular cells across 428 donors, revealing insights for Alzheimer’s onset and potential treatments.

March 31, 2023

Picower Events

Teens from area high schools got the chance to learn about advanced biology and brain research on field trips to MIT

March 10, 2023

On March 10 the FDA approved Trofinetide, a drug based on the protein IGF-1, as the first drug available to treat Rett syndrome. The original research showing that IGF-1 could treat Rett syndrome was published by MIT in 2009.

February 2, 2023

Study reveals key cell structures and gene expression changes near amyloid plaques and tau tangles in mouse brain tissue

Aging Brain Initiative symposium showcases ‘cutting edge’ research across MIT

Mark Bear wins SfN’s Julius Axelrod Prize

Decoding the complexity of Alzheimer’s disease

Individual neurons mix multiple RNA edits of key synapse protein, fly study finds

Study connects neural gene expression differences to functional distinctions

Cracking the code that relates brain and behavior in a simple animal

Summer research opportunity can be a springboard to advanced studies

Petite & Profound

Atlas of human brain blood vessels highlights changes in Alzheimer’s disease

Spring break tours give high schoolers a chance to see science up close

3 questions for Mriganka Sur: The basic research origin of the first approved drug to treat Rett syndrome

Researchers map brain cell changes in Alzheimer’s disease