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.

December 20, 2023

Research Feature

Picower Institute scientists are using single cell genomics techniques to measure gene expression and produce unque insights into nervous system biology and disease

November 28, 2023

Picower People

Brown elected to 2023 class of new members of the oldest learned society in the United States, co-founded by Benjamin Franklin.

November 6, 2023

Picower People

The Krieg Cortical Kudos Discoverer Award recognizes Nedivi’s ongoing work to understand molecular and cellular mechanisms that enable the brain to adapt to experience

November 2, 2023

New Research

Picower Institute-based collaboration will study mechanisms that might enable peripheral immune cells to deliver a potentially therapeutic molecule to the brain.

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.

'Cellf' Expression

Emery N. Brown elected member of American Philosophical Society

Award honors Elly Nedivi’s research on cortical plasticity

New grant to study possibility of an immunotherapy for autism

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