Dana-Farber's Nicholas Polizzi, PhD, honored with $1.3 million medical research grant

Nicholas Polizzi, PhD, principal investigator of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's Polizzi Laboratory, and Edward Boyden, PhD, of MIT and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, are recipients of the December 2025 Medical Research Grant from the W. M. Keck Foundation.

The $1.3 million grant funds Polizzi and Boyden’s project, “Single-molecule in situ protein sequencing via expansion microscopy.”

Proteins carry out nearly all cellular functions, but researchers currently lack a method to simultaneously read protein sequences, chemical modifications, and locations within intact cells. Polizzi and Boyden are developing in situ protein sequencing – an imaging platform that determines each protein’s complete amino acid sequence and modifications while preserving its precise cellular location.

The technology combines expansion microscopy, which physically enlarges samples so standard microscopes can see individual proteins, with fluorescent barcoding that “reads” amino acids one at a time. By anchoring proteins to a polymer network, removing other cellular components, and expanding the polymer in water, proteins can become visible at nanoscale resolution and accessible for imaging.

Polizzi and Boyden will develop chemistry to sequentially expose each amino acid within the anchored proteins, allowing fluorescent markers to bind and reveal each sequence letter by letter. They are also creating a larger library of fluorescent binders using artificial intelligence-assisted protein design. This technology could generate detailed maps that link protein identity to cellular location, potentially transforming the current understanding of normal cell function and disease mechanisms.

Established in 1954, the W. M. Keck Foundation strives to create far-reaching benefits for humanity by supporting outstanding science, engineering, and medical research and organizations that enrich the lives of children, youth, and families.

About Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is one of the world’s leading centers of cancer research and treatment. Dana-Farber’s mission is to reduce the burden of cancer through scientific inquiry, clinical care, education, community engagement and advocacy. Dana-Farber is a federally designated Comprehensive Cancer Center and a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School.

Dana-Farber is the only hospital nationwide with a top 3 U.S. News & World Report Best Cancer Hospital ranking in both adult and pediatric care.

As a global leader in oncology, Dana-Farber is dedicated to a unique and equal balance between cancer research and care, translating the results of discovery into new treatments for patients locally and around the world, offering more than 1,200 clinical trials.