An illustration of a coronoavirus floats over a diffuse blue background

Response to Covid-19

In a difficult and disruptive time, Picower Institute researchers and staff are responding with resilience, service, sacrifice and science. To learn more about Covid-19 actions, policies and resources at MIT visit http://now.mit.edu

With protocols and precautions, research is ramping up

With social distancing, personal protective equipment, testing and other protocols in place for safety, research activity at The Picower Institute and around MIT increased to 50 percent capacity (as measured in total hours) in early August. This increase followed a successful ramp up to 25 percent time in June.

Closing social distance with social media by highlighting a volunteer science movement

While home from the bench, Tonegawa lab postdoc co-runs Twitter feed of the Covid-19 National Scientist Volunteer Database

How could Covid-19 and the body’s immune response affect the brain?

A cartoon corona virus with a head inside and a question mark inside the head

Picower Institute researchers are embarking on experiments to learn the mechanisms by which coronavirus might affect mental health

Covid-19 calls Picower physician-scientist to assume another role: Front-line respiratory care

A woman wears a mask, a paper gown and a plastic face shield

A neurologist and researcher pitches in to help New England get through tough times

‘Researching from Home’: Picower science stays strong even at a distance

A woman and her white poodle look at a computer screend displaying neurons. We see them from behind.

Institute researchers are advancing their work in many ways despite time away from the lab required to corral Covid-19

Picower labs donate personal protective equipment, RNA test kits to local hospitals

Boxes of supplies are loaded into the back of a large white van — The Picower Institute's donation of supplies is loaded into an MGH van, headed for the hospital.

As MIT labs began to ramp down their operations in mid-March to ensure adequate social distancing, members of several labs (including Bear, Chung, Heiman, Miller, Nedivi and Tsai) gathered supplies including gloves, masks, and RNA test kits to donate to hospitals, whom they knew would need them more.