Stuart Levine: At the Core of Problem-Solving at MIT’s BioMicro Center
Stuart Levine, director of the MIT BioMicro Center (BMC), thrives on the diverse challenges he encounters daily. The BMC, a vital resource within MIT’s network of over 50 core facilities, provides high-throughput genomics, single-cell and spatial transcriptomic analysis, bioinformatics support, and data management to researchers across the Institute. It operates as part of the Integrated Genomics and Bioinformatics core facility at the Robert A. Swanson (1969) Biotechnology Center.
“Every day is a different day,” says Levine, highlighting the ever-present new problems and the rapid pace of technological advancement. With over 15 years in his role, Levine appreciates the opportunity to find solutions for a wide array of scientific inquiries.
Levine’s expertise combines bioinformatics with biotech relationships and a commitment to maximizing the impact of the center’s work. This skill set allows him to address the diverse questions posed by investigators in MIT’s Department of Biology, the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, and other departments across MIT’s campus.
Biology initially captured Levine’s interest as an MIT undergraduate in class 7.012 (Introduction to Biology), inspired by instructors Professor Eric Lander and Amgen Professor Emerita Nancy Hopkins. He later earned his PhD in biochemistry from Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital before returning to MIT for postdoctoral work with Professor Richard Young at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research.
In the Young Lab, Levine discovered his passion for informatics and decided to remain at MIT. His work has a broad impact, with the BMC serving over 100 labs annually, including those in the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, the departments of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Biology.
Levine explains that he applies his knowledge and streamlines workflows across these disciplines by deeply understanding the complexities of the instrumentation. This allows him to facilitate scientific advancements across various fields.
Professor Laurie Boyer notes that Levine leads a state-of-the-art core that serves many faculty and provides key training opportunities. The BMC team works with sophisticated scientific instruments that generate vast amounts of bioinformatics data. Powerful computational tools are then used to store, organize, and visualize this data, supporting research on diverse topics such as host-parasite interactions and tools for NASA’s planetary protection policy.
Levine aims to enable researchers to take the best advantage of systems biology methods. These methods involve advanced technologies to prepare large sets of DNA and RNA for sequencing, read DNA and RNA sequences from single cells, and localize gene expression to specific tissues.
He emphasizes that the return on investment for supporting shared resources is extremely high because of the broad impact. Maintaining MIT’s shared resources at the leading edge of science is crucial for making a difference in the world.
Levine maintains company relationships, and his scientific understanding enables him to educate researchers on the possibilities within modern systems biology, helping them push the limits of what is achievable.
Amy Keating, head of the Department of Biology, emphasizes the importance of the PhD-level education and scientific and technological expertise of MIT’s core directors to the success of life science research at MIT and beyond.
Levine received the MIT Infinite Mile Award in 2015 and the MIT Excellence Award in 2017. According to Noelani Kamelamela, lab manager of the BMC, Levine prioritizes researchers and their work by providing education, technical services, and support, all in service to users and their projects.
Boyer adds that Levine pushes great science, ideas, and people forward, and his knowledge and advice have enabled researchers to be at the leading edge in their work.
