News and insights

What: In continued work of the , which is aimed at uncovering the functional landscape of the human genome, a team of researchers from the ӳý’s Epigenomics Program and the Massachusetts General Hospital recently developed a method to test the functions of genomic elements.

The method targets suspected enhancers – “switches” that control the activity of nearby genes – by homing in on their signature epigenomic (i.e., “on top of the genome”) marks.

What: In one of the largest systematic analyses of schizophrenia to date, researchers from the ӳý’s Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research and elsewhere identified 13 new areas of the genome linked to schizophrenia.

“Though there are still many pieces of the puzzle yet to be discovered this study provides a good collection of possible drug targets,” said co-first author Stephan Ripke.

ӳý core faculty member Feng Zhang has been named to MIT Technology Review’s list of 35 top young investigators in recognition of his work in biotechnology and medicine.

Each year, MIT Technology Review assembles a list of exceptionally talented technologists whose work has great potential to transform the world. Previous winners include Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the cofounders of Google; Mark Zuckerberg, the cofounder of Facebook; Jonathan Ive, the chief designer of Apple; and David Karp, the creator of Tumblr.