Impact

Molecular Therapeutics Initiative

2024
The Molecular Therapeutics Initiative launches from UC Berkeley to catalyze the development of new disease therapies and to train the next-generation of drug discoverers
UC Berkeley launches the Molecular Therapeutics Initiative (MTI) to accelerate drug discovery
MTI member Markita Landry wins the Blavatnik Prize
Markita Landry announced as laureate for Blavatnik National Award
Julia Schaletzky named as Executive Director of the Molecular Therapeutics Initiative
Julia Schaletzky named as Executive Director of the Molecular Therapeutics Initiative
Ziyang Zhang awarded the NIH Director's New Innovator Award
Ziyang Zhang awarded the NIH Director's New Innovator Award
Jennifer Doudna featured in Fast Company Cover article as one of the 10 most innovative people of the last 10 years
Jennifer Doudna featured in Fast Company Cover article as one of the 10 most innovative people of the last 10 years
Helen Bateup part of research team awarded $12 MM grant from CIRM
Helen Bateup is part of a research team awarded a $12 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine!
2024
Small molecule modulation of protein corona for deep plasma proteome profiling
Small molecule modulation of protein corona for deep plasma proteome profiling
Stress response silencing by an E3 ligase mutated in neurodegeneration
The SIFI complex silences mitochondrial stress responses via ubiquitin-mediated degradation, promoting cell survival and offering a potential treatmen
Lung and liver editing by lipid nanoparticle delivery of a stable CRISPR-Cas9 ribonucleoprotein
Engineered iGeoCas9 RNP–LNP complexes enable efficient, high-precision genome editing in vivo, achieving up to 37% editing in liver and lungs.
SARS-CoV-2 Nsp1 traps RNA in the nucleus to escape immune detection
SARS-CoV-2 Nsp1 traps RNA in the nucleus to escape immune detection
TFEB controls expression of human syncytins during cell-cell fusion
TFEB controls expression of human syncytins during cell-cell fusion
Covalent degrader of the oncogenic transcription factor beta-catenin
Discovery of a covalent destabilizing degrader of the undruggable oncogenic transcription factor beta-catenin
Targeted Protein Localization by Covalent 14−3−3 Recruitment
induced proximity modality to enable targeted protein localization of nuclear proteins into the cytosol
Genome integrity sensing by the broad-spectrum Hachiman antiphage defense complex
Hachiman inhibits phage replication by indiscriminate DNA degradation
Incorporation of Multiple β2-Hydroxy Acids into a Protein In Vivo Using an Orthogonal Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetase
Incorporation of Multiple β2-Hydroxy Acids into a Protein In Vivo Using an Orthogonal Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetase
Spectrin mediates 3D-specific matrix stress-relaxation response in neural stem cell lineage commitment
Spectrin mediates 3D-specific matrix stress-relaxation response in neural stem cell lineage commitment
Birth of protein folds and functions in the virome
The viral protein structural database and analyses presented here afford new opportunities to identify mechanisms of virus–host interactions that are
DCAF16-Based Covalent Handle for the Rational Design of Monovalent Degraders
DCAF16-Based Covalent Handle for the Rational Design of Monovalent Degraders
Cntnap2 loss drives striatal neuron hyperexcitability and behavioral inflexibility
Deletion of the autism risk gene CNTNAP2 in mice increases dorsolateral striatal projection neuron excitability and promotes cognitive inflexibility.
Near-infrared nanosensors enable optical imaging of oxytocin with selectivity over vasopressin in acute mouse brain slices
This technology enables us to visualize oxytocin within the brain at the level of individual synapses, providing a valuable tool for the neuroscience
Tau fibrils induce nanoscale membrane damage and nucleate cytosolic tau at lysosomes
Tau fibrils induce nanoscale membrane damage and nucleate cytosolic tau at lysosomes
Long-term super-resolution inner mitochondrial membrane imaging with a lipid probe
Long-term super-resolution inner mitochondrial membrane imaging with a lipid probe
Mechanism and cellular function of direct membrane binding by the ESCRT and ERES-associated Ca2+-sensor ALG-2
These data reveal the nature of direct Ca2+-dependent membrane binding and its interplay with Ca2+-dependent protein binding in the function of ALG-2
2023
Rational Chemical Design of Molecular Glue Degraders
Rational Chemical Design of Molecular Glue Degraders
Engineered Glucose Oxidase-Carbon Nanotube Conjugates for Tissue-Translatable Glucose Nanosensors
Engineered Glucose Oxidase-Carbon Nanotube Conjugates for Tissue-Translatable Glucose Nanosensors
Mechanosensitive stem cell fate choice is instructed by dynamic fluctuations in activation of Rho GTPases
Mechanosensitive stem cell fate choice is instructed by dynamic fluctuations in activation of Rho GTPases
p300 is an obligate integrator of combinatorial transcription factor inputs
p300-chromatin binding requires multiple TF-interaction domains
Lysosomal GPCR-like protein LYCHOS signals cholesterol sufficiency to mTORC1
LYCHOS, a lysosomal protein, senses cholesterol and activates mTORC1 signaling by binding GATOR1, linking cholesterol to cell growth regulation.
The viral packaging motor potentiates Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus gene expression late in infection
ORF29, a viral DNA packaging motor subunit, also enhances late gene transcription in KSHV, linking viral packaging and gene expression.
Identification of structurally diverse FSP1 inhibitors that sensitize cancer cells to ferroptosis
Identification of structurally diverse small molecule inhibitors of ferroptosis target FSP1
Orphan quality control shapes network dynamics and gene expression
Orphan quality control shapes network dynamics and gene expression
Expanding the substrate scope of PylRS enzymes to include non-⍺-amino acids in vitro and in vivo
Expanding the substrate scope of PylRS enzymes to include non-⍺-amino acids in vitro and in vivo
Genome expansion by a CRISPR trimmer-integrase
CRISPR systems lacking Cas4 use fused or recruited exonucleases for faithful acquisition of new CRISPR immune sequences
Peptide-mediated delivery of CRISPR enzymes for the efficient editing of primary human lymphocytes
Peptide-mediated delivery of CRISPR enzymes for the efficient editing of primary human lymphocytes
2022
Deubiquitinase-targeting chimeras for targeted protein stabilization
Induced proximity therapeutic modality DUBTACs for targeted protein stabilization of aberrantly degraded proteins that cause disease
Identification of structurally diverse small molecule inhibitors of FSP1
Rewiring of selenoprotein hierarchy in cancer & id of ribosome stalling & collisions during GPX4 translation as ferroptosis vulnerabilities
Vaccinia virus D10 has broad decapping activity that is regulated by mRNA splicing
Vaccinia virus D10 has broad decapping activity that is regulated by mRNA splicing
Tuning levels of low-complexity domain interactions to modulate endogenous oncogenic transcription
EWS::FLI1 requires a narrow optimum of LCD-LCD interactions to activate transcription
Discovery of SARS-CoV-2 antiviral synergy between remdesivir and approved drugs in human lung cells
Combinatorial screening identified 20 drugs that synergize with remdesivir against SARS-CoV-2, including HCV inhibitors
Raptor downregulation rescues neuronal phenotypes in mouse models of Tuberous Sclerosis Complex
Raptor downregulation represents a promising potential therapeutic intervention for the neurological manifestations of TSC
Supervised learning model predicts protein adsorption to carbon nanotubes
Supervised learning model predicts protein adsorption to carbon nanotubes
2021
Discovery of a Functional Covalent Ligand Targeting an Intrinsically Disordered Cysteine within MYC
Discovery of a Functional Covalent Ligand Targeting an Intrinsically Disordered Cysteine within MYC
Structural basis and regulation of the reductive stress response
Structural basis and regulation of the reductive stress response
Mechanistic basis for ubiquitin modulation of a protein energy landscape
Mechanistic basis for ubiquitin modulation of a protein energy landscape
NPC1-mTORC1 Signaling Couples Cholesterol Sensing to Organelle Homeostasis and Is a Targetable Pathway in Niemann-Pick Type C
NPC1-mTORC1 Signaling Couples Cholesterol Sensing to Organelle Homeostasis and Is a Targetable Pathway in Niemann-Pick Type C
2024
Eikon Therapeutics
advancing breakthrough therapeutics through the purposeful integration of engineering and science
Intellia Therapeutics
revolutionizing disease therapy with gene editing
Nurix
pioneering targeted protein degradation platforms for eliminating disease causing proteins
Frontier Medicines
combining chemoproteomic technologies with AI to drug the undruggable
Lyterian Therapeutics
Co-opting physiologically relevant protein homeostatic mechanisms for treating disease
Vicinitas Therapeutics
Using the Deubiquitinase Targeting Chimera (DUBTAC) platform to restore the levels of aberrantly degraded proteins that cause disease
Caribou Biosciences
a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing transformative genome-edited allogeneic cell therapies for devastating human diseases
Scribe Therapeutics
Scribe is rewriting medicine with molecular engineering
Mammoth Biosciences
Developing in vivo gene editing therapeutics to transform patient lives
4D Molecular Therapeutics
new gene therapy delivery technologies
©2025 Molecular Therapeutics Initiative